Shadowclan's Indefitable Outcome
by Holly of the Night
Summary: It's very strange for a cat to drag an unconscous fox by the tail. It's even stranger when this small black cat can defeat a whole patrol of Shadowclan Warriors in the blink of an eye. And who would not mind killing them without a thought.
1. Chapter 1

Today was a beautiful day for Newleaf. A great time for Shadowclan. They did not suffer much fighting with other clans, and kept a considerable distance from them unless taunted enough on patrols to start a little skirmish. Less sick cats for Littlecloud and Flametail to treat if anything made the medicine cats feel as if today was very special. The sunlight melted most of the snow already, awakening hibernating and urging prey to frolic for food while the cats stood by to take their life away. Yes, it was peaceful...

"Tawnypelt!"

The tortoise-shell she-cat looked up from the rat she was sharing with Rowanclaw.

Russetfur waved her over with her tail. "Hunting patrol."

Tawnypelt nodded. She gave her mate a lick between the ears and bounded off to follow Russetfur, Crowfrost and Tigerheart through Shadowclan's territory.

"I'm so happy the snow's melted!" Tigerheart exclaimed happily as he padded through the trees.

Crowfrost nodded. "I was getting sick and tired of freezing snow."

The patrol wound their way past a row of pines and spread out to hunt. Tawnypelt with Russetfur and Crowfrost with Tigerheart.

The tortoise-shell spotted a frog just above a small marsh. She lowered her body to the ground and padded close to the prey, eyes and ears to the piece of flesh before her. She powered her hind-legs behind her, ready to take the plunge.

A rustle of ferns startled the small amphibian. It sprang from it's lily pod and disappeared in the watery marsh. Tawnypelt hissed in fury and turned to the ferns.

"Who's out there?" she drank in the scent and frowned. It was a cat. But not of any clan cat she could detect...

Possibly a Rouge or Loner.

Tawnypelt bared her fangs. "Come out now, or I'll make you!"

"Stop your blubbering!" the voice mewed from the other side of the ferns. "I'll be out in a sec! I just have to get this... stupid..."

The ferns parted to reveal a short black tom. He was pulling out what appeared to be an unconscious fox.

Tawnypelt's eyes widened. She yowled, signaling the others of danger. In no time flat she was surrounded by her clan mates as they reappeared. Russetfur assessed the situation and immediately ordered her clan cats to back up.

The dark ginger she-cat turned to the small black tom as it continued to drag the fox across the small clearing. "What in Starclan's name do you think you're doing?" Russetfur demanded.

The small black cat paused. He turned to her with a mockery look in his gaze. It was then Russetfur noticed he had spiky fur between his ears sticking up in various places. "What does it look like I'm doing, you idiot? I'm trying to drag this meal to a place where I can find a fire." He paused, then looked back at the deputy. "You wouldn't happen to have fire with you by any chance, would you?"

"What?" Tawnypelt blinked. "Why in the world would you want a fire, or even think we'd have that?"

"The point is," Russetfur growled, silencing her clan mate. "You're on Shadowclan territory. And you'd better stop dragging that fox or it'll wake up!"

Crowfrost frowned. "Did he say meal?" he murmured to Tigerheart.

The black cat stopped dragging the fox. "Don't worry about this," he mewed, flicking his tail over the creature's body. "It's dead. And about being in your territory..." he looked around. "I don't really care."

Russetfur growled. Crowfrost and Tigerheart bared their teeth and Tawnypelt slid out her claws.

The black cat smirked. "Oh look; I seemed to have touched a nerve, did I?"

With a yowl Russetfur charged at the cocky tom, her warriors trailing behind her.

At a couple of mouse-lengths away, the smirking tom disappeared."Wha-" The Shadowclan deputy stopped in her tracks beside the fox's body and wheeled around.

"Where'd he go?" she demanded, looking from side to side.

"Certainly not above your head, that's for sure," called a voice from above. They all looked up.

Dangling from a branch above a pine, as if he were merely resting was the black tom.

Russetfur growled. "Coward!"

The black tom mewed "Sure. Whatever." He leaped from the branch and landed between the four cats. "Now, let's see..."

Tawnypelt didn't know what happened after that. One second he was standing between them, the next she was on the ground out of breathe with bruises all over her body.

"Pheh. That was boring," the black tom growled.

Tawnypelt raised her aching head to find the black tom had padded away from the fallen Warriors to continue to drag the fox away.

"What did you..." Russetfur was trying to climb back on her paws, but Tawnypelt could see that she was having trouble. Her nose was bloodied and her fur was in clumps.

What about Tigerheart and Crowfrost?

She looked around to find that they were on the ground. There was a rise and fall of flanks. Thank Starclan they were alive, but only unconscious. Just what did that tom do to them?

He didn't even bother to look around at Russetfur and she climbed to her paws. "Stay down if you know what's good for you," he warned.

"Do you think I'll allow a mere Rouge to tell me what to do?" Russetfur growled, struggling to unsheathe her claws.

The black tom shrugged. "Fine. Have it your way." He raised one paw off the ground to point at Russetfur. Then, he did something Tawnypelt had never seen before.

Light began to gather between his paw. She had no idea where it was coming from, but it was making a circle of light around his out-stretched arm. Electricity crackled around it,singeing the air of it's sharp burnt taste.

Russetfur's eyes widened.

The black tom grinned. The ball of light glowed a fierce blue as he sat on his haunches.

"Big Ban-"

"Vegeta!"

Everyone looked around (or, at least those that were conscious) to find another black tom bound out from a clump of ferns. This one was much taller than the one they were facing, with messy piles of fur plastered on his head. He assessed the situation before him. Five cats. Two unconscious, one barely conscious, one struggling to stay on her paws, and a black cat pointing a light-filled paw at Russetfur.

The tall cat's eyes widened. "Vegeta, what are you doing?"

The small cat known as "Vegeta" scoffed. "What does it look like I'm doing, Kakarot? I'm getting rid of wasted life."

"Vegeta, no," Kakarot scolded. "You can't just blow up everything that you see."

"But they tried to take me on," Vegeta argued. "The least I can do is end their life in pride."

"But it's not fair to them. They had no idea what you could do," the tall tom pointed out.

Vegeta snorted, but lowered his paw, which was already diminishing the light. "Fine."

"Sorry about that," Kakarot mewed, padding over to the barely standing Russetfur. "Vegeta can be a bit of a push over when he wants to be." He extended a paw.

"I'm Goku. Pleased to meet you."


	2. The Z Warriors meets Shadowclan

**Chapter 2**

Russetfur hissed. Kakarot-or, Goku- tilted his head to one side, confused.

"Don't take a step further or I'll claw your ears off!" she warned.

Goku blinked. "I just want to help..."

Vegeta shouldered beside the black tom. "Come on, let's go. If they want to die out here then let them." The black tom started to leave, only to find that the tall black cat had stayed where he was. "Well? Come on!"

"They wouldn't be in this predicament if you didn't attack them!" Goku retorted.

"They, attacked me!" Vegeta yelled, pointing his paw at the clan warriors. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Not fight. They wouldn't have done anything to you anyway."

Tawnypelt didn't hear the rest. Exhaustion made everything swirl and blur together until she saw black. It was not long before the she-cat woke. When she did, it was in a small enclosed area. The smell of herbs hit her nostrils and almost immediately realization hit her in the form of a headache: she was in Littlecloud's den. The medicine cat himself was present in the den, tending to Crowfrost's sleeping form

Tawnypelt raised her aching head warily. "What happened?" she asked groggily.

Littlecloud looked up. "Oh! You're awake! That's good. I was hoping you'd have to sleep here for the night." He carefully looked over her figure. "How do you feel though?"

Tawnypelt tried to stand. She found that it was manageable. "A little sore," she admitted, "but other than that, good."

"I'll be the judge of that," Littlecloud mewed sternly. He inspected the tortoise-shell she-cat's fur from top to bottom, sniffing her fur and feeling her aches to see if they hurt. Satisfied, the medicine cat nodded. "I'll just give you some poppy seeds to numb the pain. If you feel anything, a soreness or dizziness—come straight back to me! Understood?"

Tawnypelt assured him that she would and left the den. She didn't even pad five steps from Littlecloud's den when a loud mew called out to her.

"Hey Tawnypelt!

The tortoise-shell flinched when she saw who it was. Gamboling over to her like some overgrown kit was the tall black tom: Goku. Or was it Kakarot?

She paused. "What are you doing here?" she sighed. Wasn't Shadowclan supposed to have rid the strange cat off their territory, not invite him to their camp?

He stopped in front of her, then raised himself on his hind-legs to gesture with his forepaws. "After you fell unconscious, Russetfair-"

"That's Russet_fur_," the Shadowclan deputy snarled within hearing distance.

Goku fell back on all four paws. He raised his paw and waved at her. "Sorry!" The she-cat snorted and turned her back pointedly away. "So, anyway—after you fell unconscious, Russetfur was all to fighting to the death. But after I explained Vegeta and I's mistake for being in your territory, she let us take her and you guys to camp!"

Goku looked behind him, then moved closer to Tawnypelt and mewed quietly, "Actually, Russetfur had fallen unconscious, so I was able to convince Vegeta to allow us to take you guys back to your home while you were all asleep."

"I.. see..." Tawnypelt mewed. She blinked. "How were you two able to carry all four of us at once though? Or even know where our territory was located?" Suspicion clawed at Tawnypelt as she asked these questions. "Did you run into a patrol for them to help you guys take us back to camp?"

Goku grinned. "Nope, we did it ourselves! We may not look like it, but we're pretty strong huma... uh... cats," he murmured the last word, looking down at his paws. Then he looked up with a smile on his face. "Vegeta's kill of the fox should be enough as an example."

Tawnypelt felt her jaw drop. "That short cat... killed that big fox?" He was hardly even Flametail's height, let alone strong enough to handle something as large and dangerous as a fox!

Goku nodded. "I told him we could have searched the houses, but he was all set to finding some fresh meat to eat."

"He was going to eat that fox?" Tawnypelt felt her jaw drop even further.

"Er..." Goku looked sheepish. "He already ate the whole thing. Sorry If you wanted some."

"Um, no-that's alright." Tawnypelt didn't know if she was dealing with dangerous cats or just a whole new species. All she knew was that it felt foreign to her and... strange. "But tell me, how did you know where our territory was if Russetfur was unconscious?"

Goku shrugged. "We smelled it."

"Smelled it...?"

"Yup! I could smell your camp a mile away!"

Tawnypelt frowned. She didn't know what a _mile_ meant, but she did notice Blackstar leaving his den with Vegeta just now. "If you'll excuse me..." she scooted away to confront her leader. "Blackstar?"

But the Shadowclan deputy didn't hear. He was immersed deeply in a conversation with Vegeta. Curious, Tawnypelt waited in the shadows of a bush beside camp for her leader to finish speaking with Vegeta. Tawnypelt couldn't help but shudder fearfully at the small black tom. He reminded her of another small black cat, one who used fear and death to get what he wanted, and almost took over the whole forest in the process.

"Vegeta!" Tawnypelt's eyes widened as the large black tom of Goku ran to Vegeta and cuffed him playfully over the head. In retaliation Vegeta growled and, quick as lightening cuffed Goku hard on the head, sending him across the clearing and over the barrier.

Tawnypelt was not the only cat to stare with wide eyes. Perhaps it was the sudden silence in the camp that did it, or the eyes the looked his way, for Vegeta murmured, "he'll be fine. Now, about that tree you mentioned blocking the stream..."

_He'll be fine? _Tawnypelt doubted it very much. But she tried to take the image of Goku broken and lifeless out of her mind and instead waited for Blackstar's talk with Vegeta to end.

But it looked like their discussion would take a while. With a sigh, Tawnypelt instead turned her eyes to the entrance barrier. In came Rowanclaw, escorting a happy... _Goku? _

How in Starclan's name did he survive that fall? The attack made him literally fly over the barrier! He should have at least had a broken spine or head, let alone just ruffled fur.

"Rowanclaw!" Tawnypelt bounded to her mate. With a quick hello to Goku, she quickly dragged her mate away from the tall cat. She still didn't trust these newcomers.

When they got far enough, that is, literally across camp from both Vegeta and Goku, she whispered, "What are they still doing here?"

Rowanclaw blinked. "It's sort of complicated..."

"Try me."

Her mate shrugged. He sighed and sat comfortably on the ground, motioning for Tawnypelt to do the same. "After those strangers brought you and the others to Shadowclan, Blackstar was all up for having us attack them when we saw you and the patrol's unconscious forms." He smiled, revealing sharp teeth. "Believe me, I wanted crack at them first when I saw you."

Tawnypelt didn't have time for the sympathetic caring of her mate. "Then what happened?" she urged.

"Well, Goku was able to convince Blackstar that they had carried you and the rest of the patrol here. The small cat-Vegeta- explained that it was he that beat you guys. Again, we were going to attack if Blackstar had not held us back." Rowanclaw sighed in frustration. "He instead asked why Vegeta attacked."

Rowanclaw scowled. "He said it was out of self-defense. And as apology for intruding on our territory brought you guys here-though he didn't look too happy apologizing. So then, Blackstar asked who they were since he or none of us had never seen them before. Well, the small cat-Vegeta-was telling him out in the open while eating the fox that... well..."

"Spit it out!"

Rowanclaw looked away uncomfortably. "They say they're humans. Or, as we call it: Twolegs."

Tawnypelt blinked.

Rowanclaw narrowed his eyes. But when Tawnypelt still said nothing he turned back to stare at her. Waiting.

Finally she did say something, and mewed:

"That's crazy."

She waved her tail. "Besides, Goku just told me they were cats."

Rowanclaw shrugged. "I know. But he and Vegeta told Blackstar in his den with Russetfur and Littlecloud. I, ah, was listening nearby. Blackstar seems to believe them, but told them not to tell anyone else in camp about them being... Twolegs..."

"Why?"

"Because of their power."

A sudden image of Vegeta holding out his paw, that seemed to crackle with electricity before Russetfur's beaten figure, burned in Tawnypelt's mind.

"Power in what way?" she asked quietly.

"Well... they can fly."

Again, Tawnypelt was quiet.

Rowanclaw sighed. "I know it's hard to believe-but they showed us! They flew around Shadowclan-that big tom Goku even brought back a fish from the lake! His pelt dripping with water after he fished."

"They were on Riverclan territory?" Tawnypelt gasped. If anything that would surely make their rivaled clan find an excuse to attack them. And that was the last thing they needed.

Rowanclaw shook his head. "We-that is to say, Blackstar, Russetfur and Littlecloud while I hid in the shadows-followed him to the lake. Goku flew to the middle of the lake, jumped down in the water, and came back out with a huge fish that he said he got out from the bottom of the lake! And then he asked if we'd like some"

"And...?"

The elders and queens said they'd never had never tasted anything so terrible So, Goku ate it all... himself." Rowanclaw shook his head. "Honestly, if I didn't see it with my own eyes I would never have believed a small cat could eat a whole fox, or that large tom to eat a whole fish as if it was nothing."

Tawnypelt looked away, across the clearing. Goku could be seen by the nursery, entertaining the kits by carrying them around and laughing while those on the ground tried tackling him to the ground. The queens stood by, suspicious of him as much as Tawnypelt felt but allowing their kits to play with this complete stranger nonetheless.

Could they also possibly fear him for his power? She could be honest with herself and say that she felt the same way.

And yet, it's so hard to believe it by how... gentle he acts...

Vegeta's another story.

She sighed. "So what are they even doing here? They aren't here to join Shadowclan, are they?"

Rowanclaw shook his head. "Blackstar invited them to join. But they declined, saying they were only passing through."

"So why are they hear?" Tawnypelt repeated. She felt like yowling.

"Blackstar asked them to get rid of that tree blocking the stream. Remember, it's because of that we've had a harder time hunting for prey. Without that stream full to the brim the prey population was decreasing rapidly around that area. And we need all the prey we could muster to get back to full strength."

Tawnypelt felt a shudder. "Are they really that strong?"

"Goku was able to lift Blackstar's high rock off the ground and toss it in the air before catching it and placing it back where it was." Rowanclaw lowered his eyes. "With one paw."

"So why don't they do it now and get it over with?"

Rowanclaw looked around. "Actually, Vegeta's going to do it himself. Blackstar's going with him now." The ginger tom pointed at the entrance. Tawnypelt turned to see the small black tom disappear with Blackstar, Ivytail and Ratscar following close by. Probably to make sure Vegeta didn't do anything to their leader. Though privately Tawnypelt felt it would do no good. She still had the bruises to prove it.

"I tell you, it's amazing what they can do." Rowanclaw shook his head. "If their intention was to invade, I doubt we'd have stood a chance."

"They could probably take over the whole forest if they wanted," Tawnypelt mewed quietly. Scourge's figure came to mind again and she shuddered in fear. Vegeta acted just like him in many ways. He was even going to kill them of Goku didn't show up to stop him!

She quickly shook her head. "Come on." she trotted to the entrance. Rowanclaw quickly followed.

"Where are we going?"

"I want to see if what those cats say are true," she mewed quickly, leaving the camp and following the patrol's trail.

* * *

**I had actually wanted to introduce Krillin too. But then he'd have appeared as a naked cat because of his baldness and... lack of nose X3**

**Any idea who else I could introduce? I'm thinking of Piccolo, but I'll first have to see how this story comes along.**

**Review, and enjoy.**


	3. The tree to be

**Just to answer my first reviewer, yes until things change, this story will only take place via Tawnypelt's point of view. So with that, enjoy the story**

* * *

"So, this is it?"

Blackstar nodded slowly. "Yes... think you can manage it?"

Vegeta turned his black eyes upon Blackstar's amber ones. "Maybe."

He turned and faced the large tree blocking the stream. It was a large pine, it's branches scattered among the structure, strengthening its hold on the stream. Small amounts of water were trickling through the tree and to the other side of the pathetically small stream.

Vegeta looked upwards. "You've got one of your Warriors by the area you want me to drop this thing, right?" he asked.

Blackstar nodded again. "Scorchfur's just waiting until you bring it, then he'll direct you to the drop-off point."

Vegeta stretched. "Alright. You might want to stand back for this," he warned. Blackstar's eyes widened. Vegeta seemed to second-guess what he was thinking. "I won't blow it up.. But I won't be able to see as clearly until I'm above the trees. You could get hurt." He began padding to the large tree.

"But stay if you want," he added. "I don't care."

As the small black tom padded over the tree above the stream, a small outburst of anger could be heard faintly in some bushes just on the edge of the clearing.

"shh!" Rowanclaw hissed.

Tawnypelt ignored him. She dug her claws into the ground as she watched that pathetic excuse for a cat pad to the tree. He acted as if he were the leader, and treating Blackstar like a mere apprentice!

"We shouldn't need his help for this!" she spat. "We've lived off worse before. Blackstar should just force him and Goku to leave while they've still got limbs to walk on!"

Rowanclaw opened his jaw, then closed it. He shook his head to indicate he wasn't going to argue with her, and took to staring outside the bushes instead, hoping Tawnypelt would have enough sense not to draw the others' attention to their hiding spot.

Vegeta stood on the tree, looking over the edge with a frown. He turned to the other side of his bridge and observed that side too. He then leaped in the air and plunged in the water.

Tawnypelt's eyes widened. He's crazy! A tail-tip lightly touched shoulder as the tortoise-shell stiffened. "Steady," he mewed. "Just watch."

Tawnypelt twitched. Did Rowanclaw not just see a small cat jump into a stream full of water and not resurface? But then again he had mentioned the many feats these two Rouges had done while she was out. So doubtfully Tawnypelt kept herself steady as she peered through the leafy branches at the stream.

Blackstar and his patrol was doing the same. Ivytail was flicking her tail from side-to-side nervously while Ratscar kneaded the ground before him. The Shadowclan leader was impossibly still, not even twitching his tail. The only movement he expressed was a flick of his ears when a fly landed on it.

Tawnypelt pricked her own ears.

What was that?

She could hear it again. A muffled crunch. Did that tree just twitch?

She quickly looked at Rowanclaw before turning back to the tree. It was now rocking lightly back and forth. Then slowly, before Tawnypelt's surprise, the tree began to steadily rise from the waters. She held her breathe as the tree was lifted completely above the stream, revealing a very soaked small black cat balancing the large structure from underneath between his shoulders, arms raised to his sides to keep the tree balanced.

Tawnypelt lowered herself to the ground as the tree towered over them. Everyone else quickly backed away, coming dangerously close to her hiding spot. Vegeta shook the water from his head. The small gesture was not good. The tree tilted to the side and almost fell off his shoulders.

It didn't help that he was directly above the cats when this happened. That small imbalance got everyone, including Tawnypelt and Rowanclaw, streaking away from the clearing to disappear in the bushes and away from the tree's line of destruction.

Vegeta, however, was able to keep his hold on the tree quickly before it dropped. He slowly floated higher with it, making sure not to topple it over his shoulders again. He just rose above the other pines, and, just as steadily, disappeared over the tips.

Tawnypelt slowly lifted her head above the log she had hidden under. She could hardly believe it. A cat! Lifting a tree off the ground as if it were nothing right before her very eyes!

She shook her head, suddenly feeling sick. She jumped when Rowanclaw placed a tail-tip on her shoulder. Still ducking, he lead her away from the Shadowclan patrol as they slunk from their hiding places to stand once again in the clearing. Though Tawnypelt could still see their fur fluffed and backs arched a bit.

From the distance they heard a muffled thump echo through the forest. It seemed Vegeta finally dropped the tree.


	4. The unknowable unkown

**I had changed my original outlook of the story. To give it more of an expansion of the plot, I'll shift between different main characters. And I've been working up a proper plot that is much different to the orignal chapter, and added more. This story will have a much darker theme along the way.**

* * *

"You okay?"

Tawnypelt looked up at her mate's eyes. Rowanclaw looked apprehensive to be speaking to his considerably quiet mate. Tawnypelt blinked. He looked so cute with that bit of fur sticking up on the side of his right ear. She sighed.

"Rowanclaw. I just saw a small black cat lift a tree on his shoulders and fly away with it. And he's now sitting on the other side of the clearing talking with Blackstar and chatting as if it had never even happened... do you really think I'm okay?"

Rowanclaw pressed his pelt with hers. "If it makes you feel any better, everyone ran into their dens the minute Goku lifted Blackstar's High Rock off the ground. You're not alone in this."

"But why are they still here?" Tawnypelt nearly yowled. She still couldn't understand it. The longer she was around Vegeta and Goku the more she feared something might happen. There was only so long a cat—or Twoleg—or whatever!—could be careful. What if Vegeta accidentally starts a fire? Or kill someone?

"Because Kakarot insisted we stay," mewed a quiet voice. Tawnypelt jumped. She had to admit she felt a bit better when her mate jumped in shock from the voice too. They both looked around to see the smirking Vegeta staring at them, mockery in his black eyes.

Tawnypelt stared at him for a moment before shifting her gaze away. She couldn't stare at those eyes. They looked as if they'd seen a lot more than just scuffling and hunting—and could do more. There was a story behind those eyes, and Tawnypelt was in no hurry to open the pages and peak inside. Just the front cover itself...

She raised her eyes to look across the clearing.

Though it was dark outside, there enough stars were out for Tawnypelt to make out Goku's black fur as he could be seen entertaining the apprentices with a small blue round shape made of bright light waving in the air with no support. He was waving his paws, and the ball of light followed in his direction, going back and forth, up and down, and doing somersaults in the air, much to his audiences glee.

It was only when one of them tried to catch it did a few things happened before Tawnypelt's eyes.

One of the apprentices tried to catch the bright blue light when it came his way. Goku's face could be seen shift from amusement to pure horror. Then he appeared in front of the apprentice as if he'd been there the whole time, and bat the light blue ball away with his paw. It soared high in the air a good distance. In fact, it kept right on going until the bright blue ball was too far high that it winked away above Silverpelt and the many stars.

Goku turned back to the apprentice, emanating contrition. But no one was paying any attention to him. They were all still staring up at the sky where the blue ball had disappeared to, as if expecting it to come back down. Tawnypelt was one of the cats.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Tawnypelt tore her gaze away from the sky to stare down Vegeta. He was blatantly annoyed for being ignored. Tawnypelt felt bitter triumph stir within herself. Perhaps she should say he was too short for her to have noticed him...

No, that probably wouldn't be a good idea.

"Uh, anyway," Rowanclaw mewed quickly when Tawnypelt still didn't answer. "What did Kakarot just—" He suddenly frowned. "Is his name Goku, or Kakarot?"

Vegeta snorted. "His _true _birth name is Kakarot. But his foster old man called him Goku. So the weak worm stuck with it."

Rowanclaw narrowed his eyes. He didn't know what a _man_ was, but figured he overlook it for now. "You said Kaka... Goku, wanted you guys to stay here. Why?"

Vegeta shrugged. "Don't know. All he said was that he sensed spirits around here and felt curious about it."

Tawnypelt felt her heart beat twice as fast. Goku, sensing the presence of something only Medicine cats had the power and authority to do. _Spirits?_ But no, he couldn't mean...

"What spirits?" Rowanclaw asked, his voice oddly quiet.

Vegeta scrunched his face in annoyance. "I already told you, I don't know," he spat. He padded away, head held high. "And next time try to be more creative when following me!" he called over his shoulder.

So Vegeta did realize he and Tawnypelt were following him to move the tree...

Tawnypelt looked at her mate, who in turn stared at her with the same look she was feeling.

Could Goku have anything to do with Starclan?

**(((_endpage_)))**

Comforting.

That was the first thought to cross his mind as he gazed at the undergrowth before him. It was bright and sunny, and radiated a peacefulness he felt from within. Everywhere he looked seemed to give off its own shine and light. The air tasted fresh and crisp, the grounds clean and refreshing.

Even the cats looked to be very neat and shiny. He smiled inside as he gazed at the wonders before him.

"Who are you?"

He turned. Staring at him with a wariness in her eyes was a she-cat with dark gray mattered fur. Her squashed face was twisted in suspicion as her amber eyes regarded him. She was also radiating the same sort of unnatural yet good type of light as everything else.

He dipped his head. "Hello," he mewed politely.

The she-cat's blinked. She was staring hard at his pelt. "You're not from here," she murmured. She scowled suddenly, her hackles raising. He frowned as the she-cat backed away from him. He could practically smell the fear coming off her in waves. "That must mean that," she whispered. "You... you're a..."

She looked so frightened, but he couldn't figure out why. He took a step towards her, worried. "Hey, are you okay?" he mewed with concern.

"Stay away from me!" the she-cat shrieked. His eyes widened when she tried to take a swipe at him. "Get away from here!" she hissed. "Your kind is not wanted here!"

He dodged her blow and stepped away. "My kind?" he echoed. "What are you talking about—"

He broke off and quickly ducked as a cat tried to tackle him from behind. She landed on her paws and turned to face him. This one had jet black fur, her icy blue eyes surveying him with distaste. The she-cat with the squashed face had her back arched, hissing and spitting. He looked at the she-cats, confused by their sudden ferocity. Was it because he was in their territory? Or might they be confusing him with someone else?

The blue eyes flicked to something by his right.

He immediately ducked and whirled around. He glimpsed something dark and brown before he was tackled to the ground. It was a large cat, and he had his claws unsheathed, digging into his flesh. He quickly pulled up his hind-legs and pushed the large cat away. The tom fell off and landed beside the squashed she-cat. He quickly stood, and followed the other they began circling him.

"What are you doing here?" the dark brown tom spat. The light around him emanated something powerful and old. As did the other she-cats. They were angry.

He blinked. "I was just here to visit..."

"Why?" The black she-cat snarled. "Tired of your friends in the Dark Forest? Is that why you came here?"

"The Dark Forest?" he frowned. "Do you mean Shadowclan?"

The cats paused. They looked him up and down with suspicion.

"... perhaps he's not one of them," the squashed she-cat murmured to the tom. Their eyes never left him.

He shook his head. "Not one of what?" he asked, curious. "Did you think I was someone else?"

"Where did you come from?" the black she-cat asked. "How did you get here?"

He shrugged. "I was just curious. I didn't think I was doing harm."

The dark tom narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "... this one is still alive," he murmured quietly. The other cats looked from the tom back to him.

"Could he also have the gift?" the black she-cat mewed, her disdained voice dropped in favor of a curious tone. She was looking particularly hard at her companion. "If so, I never would have guessed. No one called him here, did they?"

"Not that I know of," the squashed she-cat answered.

"Nonetheless, we should ask him ourselves," the dark tom broke in. "He'll be able to give us some answers." He looked around at their prisoner. He blinked on confusion.

"Where is he?"

They were all looking wildly around. "There's no way he could have escaped; we had him cornered," the black she-cat snarled.

"Unless he found a way here none of us knows of," the squashed she-cat mewed thoughtfully.

"It doesn't matter. Call the other cats and find him! We still don't know what he is!"

But the search was in vain. They could not find hair, scent nor paw-print of their almost-prisoner. He was gone.

* * *

**The second last part of the chapter may be confusing now (though some of you probably already guessed it by now) but it's a surprise until next time.**


	5. Training, hunting style

**Chapter 5**

"What are they doing in there?"

"Does it matter?" Rowanclaw sighed.

"Yes!" she hissed. She stared back at the entrance to Blackstar's den. "Who knows what they might be saying in there. Aren't you the least bit curious?"

Rowanclaw gave her an affronted look. "Of course I am. But you know we can't do anything about it. And remember what Vegeta said last time we spied on them? He'd probably know if we were trying to eavesdrop."

"Some warrior you turned out to be," the she-cat murmured under her breathe. She pricked her ears as Blackstar exited the den with Goku, Vegeta, and Russetfur in tow. A familiar shudder ran through the she-cat's body as Vegeta's dark form trailed after Blackstar, followed closely by an equally serious yet polite Goku.

Blackstar leaped on the High Rock. His white pelt shone even in the shadows of camp when compared to the many dark-pelted cats. Tawnypelt jumped a bit as the Shadowclan leader yowled, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the High Rock for a clan meeting!"

Immediately swarms of cats exited their dens or stood from their spots around camp to stand underneath the High Rock. A hunting patrol consisting of Dawnpelt, Ivytail Ratscar and his Pinepaw just entered camp, prey in their jaws. Tawnypelt still forgot every now and then if the black pelted apprentice was actually a she-cat or tom.

The patrol dropped their prey on the fresh-kill pile and joined the group. Blackstar waited until everyone was settled before he launched into his speech. "Shadowclan! I have some good news to share with you all. Now that the tree is away from the river, our supply or prey has come back with more frogs and squirrels to enjoy!"

The cats yowled in their delight. Goku jumped in surprise from the abrupt sounds. Vegeta merely scowled.

Blackstar raised a tail for silence. "And, I have further news," continued the tom.

Tawnypelt felt her heart lighten. Would it be about Goku and Vegeta leaving? Did they finally decide it was not worth it to stay in Shadowclan?"

"Goku and Vegeta have decided to stay in Shadowclan and train as Shadowclan warriors!"

_What?_

Tawnypelt felt her heart fall like a stone on a leaf. _What happened to only passing by their territory to move on?_

She wasn't the only one to be feeling the same way. Rowanclaw's eyes were wide with surprise. Russetfur, though she knew ahead of time Blackstar's speech, still didn't look too happy herself. Even Snowbird was looking doubtful about Goku and Vegeta training to be Shadowclan warriors.

Blackstar's eyes rove around the mass of cats. Tawnypelt knew what was going to happen next. She immediately hid behind Rowanclaw. The ginger tom mewed in surprise and pushed his mate in front of him. Tawnypelt shuffled forward a few paw-steps before she was able to regain her balance.

The Shadowclan leader took Tawnypelt's stance to mean she was volunteering. "Alright. Tawnypelt!" the tortoise-shell she-cat looked up. "You will be Vegeta's mentor."

"No!" she shrieked without thinking.

Blackstar reared back in surprise, as did some of Shadowclan's cats from her abrupt screech. Rowanclaw was currently picking at his ear with his tail in an attempt to hear again. Vegeta glared, flattening his ears.

The Shadowclan leader composed himself. "Alright. You can train Goku then." His eyes glittered. "Unless that's also a problem?"

Tawnypelt felt her heart sink. But she had to admit it was better than training Vegeta. She shook her head. "No, it's fine. I will promise to train Goku."

Blackstar nodded. He turned to Goku, flicking his tail at Tawnypelt. Goku padded forward and stood beside the now glum she-cat and guilty ginger tom.

"Sorry," Rowanclaw whispered quietly behind Tawnypelt's ear.

She bared her teeth at him before turning back to the High Rock. Goku curled his tail in amusement, but said nothing. _Thank Starclan._

"Crowfrost!"

The black and white tom flinched, but regained himself as Blackstar's eyes sought him. "You will train Vegeta and teach him the ways of a Shadowclan warrior. Understood?"

Fury etched the Shadowclan warrior's face. It was safe to say Vegeta didn't look too happy about the idea either. But Crowfrost bowed his head respectfully and murmured, "Yes Blackstar."

Blackstar nodded in satisfaction. With the meeting at an end, he leaped down the High Rock to speak with Toadstep and Russetfur.

Goku looked at Tawnypelt. "What do we get to do first?" he asked excitedly. Tawnypelt opened her mouth to speak, but a loud grumble stopped her. She and Rowanclaw stared at Goku. He raised his fore-paw to rub the back of his head sheepishly.

_Odd gesture._

"Sorry," the black tom apologized. "Can we eat first?"

But his mentor shook her head. "No, you can't. The clan must be fed first before you can get yourself something to eat."

Goku blinked in shock. "How come?"

Tawnypelt rubbed her temple with her tail to soothe the headache she knew would come. "Let's just wait for Crowfrost and Vegeta before I launch into a speech."

((_endpage_))

"Again," Tawnypelt ordered.

Goku quickly leaped under the shades of a tree, his black pelt nearly blending completely with his surroundings. He padded quietly through the darkness, using only the shadows as his pathways.

Tawnypelt nodded in approval. Then she heard a snap.

Goku stood fully, looking down. He had stepped on a pine cone.

"Stupid pine," he murmured. He looked up. "Wouldn't it be easier if we hunted where there's less of this?" he asked, raising his fore-paw to show the broken pieces of sap.

Tawnypelt shook her head. "Shadowclan thrives in pine. The trees create thick shadows that enables us to hide from prey. And, unfortunately, the pine trees also shed pine needles that litter the flooring." She pointed at the shadows of a bush. "We use the shadows as our advantage." She padded quietly through a pine-filled flooring, hardly making a sound. Goku followed noisily behind her.

She raised her tail. "Treat the pines as fragile flooring. Don't think of them as nuisances, but practice to increase your skills to be as quiet as a mouse, and as alert as a squirrel." She pointed with her tail at a tree covered with saw-edged leaves. Between them and the tree were many pine cones and needles.

"Pad as quietly as you can to that tree. If you make a sound or scrape a pine, don't give up. Keep going and just concentrate."

Goku looked doubtfully at the ground. But he nodded and padded off to sneak up on the tree. Immediately Tawnypelt heard quiet snapping of pine cones breaking and a few grumbles from the black tom.

She sighed and sat back on her haunches, watching his progress. She suddenly looked around, narrowing her eyes."

There was a shake behind a row of bushes. A dark ginger fur appeared around the corner. Rowanclaw padded sheepishly the rest of the way out of his hiding spot. Tawnypelt sniffed and turned back around.

"Um, hi Tawnypelt." He looked at Goku as the black tom attempted to get to the tree through a pine-filled flooring. "How's Goku's progress coming along?"

The she-cat lashed her tail in response.

Rowanclaw settled himself beside his mate, at least a fox-length away. "Listen, I'm sorry I pushed you forward and Blackstar chose you," he began. "But look on the bright side. You finally get to mentor an apprentice of your own! And I know you've been dying to mentor a cat for a long time"

Tawnypelt narrowed her eyes. "You know I as well as I do this was not what I meant. I wanted to train a young cat into a warrior, not some... rouge of a cat!"

There was a shuffle of paws and another twig snapping. "Tawnypelt, how am I doing?" Goku called.

The she-cat gave her mate another withering look before turning to her apprentice. "You're getting better," she congratulated. "Now try again."

Goku blinked. "For how long."

"Until I feel you've got the idea."

Goku sighed, but kept his mouth shut as he padded back to his start of the trail.

The tortoise-shell shook her head. "Try a different pine-filled flooring."

"How come."

"Because you'd remember where to step in this part of the floor, and you scrapped over too many areas with your body that there's hardly any pine needles on the trail."

Goku looked down. "Oh."

"It wouldn't count as increasing your skill unless you practiced looking for different areas to place your paw in new and unfamiliar areas," Tawnypelt explained lightly.

"And when will I be able to practice this on real prey?"

She raised her paw. "Let's just get through the basics first before trying it out on the real thing."

Goku looked dejected for a moment. Then his tail shot straight up and his eyes took on a determined look. "You can count on me to get it right!" he declared before shooting off to try another part of the clearing.

Rowanclaw's whiskers twitched. "You know, he does act like a young apprentice," he put in hopefully for Tawnypelt's benefit.

The she-cat merely flicked her tail coolly.

**((_endpage_))**

So that's how you catch food," Goku whispered as Tawnypelt burst through the bushes where she had given chase, a dead mouse in her jaws.

She dropped her catch on the ground and covered it with dirt and pine needles. Thank goodness Rowanclaw left. It was hard enough concentrating without him trying to apologize to her.

"Why are you doing that?" the black tom asked curiously.

Tawnypelt rolled her eyes. "I have to cover my prey, otherwise someone else might try to grab it."

"Like who?"

"Badgers. Foxes... rouges—"

"What's a 'rouge?'"

She gritted her teeth. "They're cats that love to mess with us clan cats and make our lives difficult. They sometimes cross our borders or steal prey from us."

"Maybe they're just hungry," Goku put in politely.

"Maybe you should learn to shut up and just listen to your mentor!" Crowfrost hissed. He padded into the clearing with Vegeta, prey in both their jaws.

"Vegeta!" Goku blinked in surprise. "Wow. You already learned how to catch small animals already?"

Vegeta furrowed his brow. "Don't tell me you didn't catch anything yet, Kakarot?"

The black tom scrapped his fore-paw on the ground. "Well, no. Tawnypelt's still showing me the basics after I made too much noise trying to catch a mouse. Small animals are a lot harder to catch than the larger ones."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "I can't believe one of the most powerful saiy—" he blinked. "Um... cats, can't even catch a mouse." His eyes glittered. "Looks like there is a weakness in you yet."

"Hey!"

Tawnypelt stood in between them. "Crowfrost," she looked pointedly Vegeta's way. The tom nodded and took Vegeta off to one side to speak with him. Tawnypelt turned around to her apprentice.

"Don't let Vegeta get to you," she scolded. "Everyone learns by their own time. Some quicker than others."

"Goku tilted his head. "It was pretty funny though."

"What was?"

"Vegeta. He hardly ever looks that happy before." He looked at his small friend while he spoke quietly with Crowfrost. "Guess killing small animals helps with his ego a bit," he muttered thoughtfully.

Tawnypelt felt her heart clench in fear, but mewed, "Just don't try to pick a fight with another apprentice. Especially because... you know."

Goku raised himself on his hind-legs, attempting to wave his fore-paws in a gesture of playful surrender to his mentor. But the tom lost his balance and fell on his back.

"Oof!"

Crowfrost snorted. "Oaf," he murmured under his breathe as he came back to them.

Tawnypelt flinched. But Goku merely flicked his ears good-naturally. "Sorry," he smiled. "I'll pay attention this time."

"You'd better," the black and white tom sneered. "Now that the apprentices' jibes are set aside..."

He turned to Tawnypelt. "Vegeta's already got the basics down and everyone he would need to know about hunting," he reported. "I'm going to take him back to camp with the rest of the prey and show him around the territory."

Tawnypelt nodded thoughtfully. "We'll join you by the old Twolegplace after we're done here. Make it into a sort of group session."

Crowfrost agreed and, digging up Tawnypelt's own prey, he and Vegeta padded off back to Shadowclan camp. Tawnypelt never took her eyes off the group as they left.

"He's not such a bad guy," mewed a voice. She looked around to see Goku looking at her.

She stared at him without answering. He flicked his tail. "Vegeta. He may act like a dangerous huma... cat. But he's changed." With that Goku turned and began trying to scent for prey as Tawnypelt taught him.

The she-cat stared at Goku, now feeling a fresh wave of horror. _He's changed? _Then what did that make Vegeta before he became this scowling, glowering and violent cat?


	6. Border Patrol & Punishment

"Tawnypelt. Look!"

The tortoise-shell she-cat looked up. Goku was standing on a branch five fox-lengths above her head, holding a live squirrel with one paw by the tail. It chattered angrily, trying to swipe Goku with its tiny claws. But the tom kept it within a fore-paw away from him, looking at the piece of prey with bright eyes.

_What in the world is he doing!_ Tawnypelt though angrily. "Goku!" called the she-cat. "What are you, a squirrel or a cat?" _What am I saying? He's not even a cat! At least, he wasn't before. But now he is. So that would make him..._

She scowled. "What are you doing? Kill it already!"

Goku's eyes widened. "Why would I do that? It looks so cute!" he gushed, nuzzling the squirrel. The little animal bit him. "Hey!" he rubbed his nose with his other fore-paw, balancing himself on his rump and hind-legs.

Tawnypelt rubbed her forehead with her tail, a headache starting to form. "Small animals are meant for food." _He's worse than a kit; even they would understand what to do with live prey!_ What else would we do with a squirrel?"

"Keep it as a pet?"

"No!" Tawnypelt screeched impatiently. "Either kill it now or drop it here and let me. The clan needs every bit of scrap of meal we can scrounge up!"

Goku blinked thoughtfully. He stared at the squirrel, then back down at his mentor. There was a pained look on his face as the black tom carefully set the squirrel back on the branch. The small prey quickly ran into its hole in the tree, leaving behind an apprentice and disappointed mentor.

Tawnypelt couldn't even look Crowfrost in the eye when he and Vegeta arrived after scenting Shadowclan's border. But she did feel a little better when she found Crowfrost had trouble with Vegeta too.

"They urinate on trees as a sign of dominance, Kakarot!" Vegeta mewed angrily. "How disgusting these felines can be. Tell me, why do we have to stay here again instead of let me blow the place up?"

Crowfrost clenched his teeth. But he probably remembered the beating he had received from Vegeta when they first met, because he mewed through gritted teeth, "It's how we do things around here. Every clan knows to respect the rival's territory when scent marks are up. And it's for us to be able to keep a secure hold on our territory."

Vegeta shrugged. "Fine. So long as Blackstar doesn't send me here to urinate on trees and rocks, I don't care." Crowfrost opened his mouth in a snarl. Tawnypelt quickly moved in to cut off an argument that would arise.

"What's got you worked up so bad, Crowfrost?"

Tawnypelt turned. _Oh no,_ she groaned. Why now?

_Then again, _she reflected sadly_. Their arrival did stop a possible fight._

Riverclan's dawn patrol appeared one by one past a large reed bed. Reedwhisker, Icewing, Pebblefoot and Mallownose. Goku pricked his ears, staring curiously at the knew group of cats. Vegeta scowled, looking up at the cats with half-bored eyes.

Crowfrost curled his lip as the Riverclan cats came closer. "None of your business," he sneered."

Reedwhisker furrowed his eyes. He looked at Goku and Vegeta, a frown on his face. "Who are they?"

"What part of none of your busin—" the rest of Crowfrost's words halted when Tawnypelt stuck her tail in his mouth.

"Reedwhisker," she nodded. Her clan-mate spat her tail, giving the she-cat a glowering look. _Oh, you wanted to start a fight, was that it? _She sniffed._ Too bad; that's not what we're here for._

The black tom flicked his ears. "Tawnypelt." He gave Goku and Vegeta another side-ways look before turning to make sure Pebblefoot and Mallownose were scenting on the correct borders. Thank Starclan, Tawnypelt sighed. She didn't think introducing Goku and Vegeta, mostly Vegeta, to clan disputes. "How's life in your clan running?"

The she-cat shrugged. "Not bad. We've got new cats to train, as you can see. But Shadowclan's still doing well," she mewed evasively.

Reedwhisker nodded Vegeta's way. The black tom ignored him. "Not very sociable, are they?"

"He's just a bit... shy," Tawnypelt mumbled. _Hope he didn't hear that. _She shivered involuntarily when the black tom pricked his ears, looking Tawnypelt's way with col eyes. "Um, Vegeta's his name."

The Riverclan tom nodded, giving the black cat another observant look. He suddenly looked around, eyes wide with surprise. "What is your new cat doing?" he hissed. Tawnypelt followed his gaze.

Oh no, she groaned. Goku was standing on Riverclan's side of the territory. But the black tom didn't know that. He was giving Icewing a curious look as the white warrior growled at him, revealing sharp teeth.

Reedwhisker stalked over to Goku's side while Tawnypelt followed on her own border. "He's still learning," she mewed desperately. "We were just showing them how territories function. Just let this one slide for once—" But the black tom ignored her.

Foxdung! Now what could she do? As Tawnypelt contemplated ideas that took her nowhere, she didn't even realize Vegeta's presence beside her until he spoke up.

"Let him," he mewed, making the she-cat jump. Tawnypelt stared. He shrugged. "He'll learn better this way if given direct force." And with that Vegeta settled comfortably on his haunches to watch the fight he knew would break out. Crowfrost gave his apprentice a glare before turning to Tawnypelt helplessly.

"We can't do anything since technically he did break the rules," he pointed out with a heavy sigh.

Reedwhisker looked Goku in the eye. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed.

"Reedwhisker!" Tawnypelt tried one more time. "We'll make sure Blackstar punishes Goku for what he did—" the she-cat paused when the Riverclan tom hissed.

Goku blinked in surprise at the sudden tension. "I'm just standing here," he explained.

Reedwhisker jerked his head. Icewing hissed and jumped the black tom. Goku mewed in surprise, falling on his back as the she-cat attacked.

"Goku!" Tawnypelt called. The black tom looked around, keeping Icewing's vain attempts to bite him by holding her away with his fore-paws. "Whatever you do, don't fight back! Just cross back to our border!" He nodded.

He quickly stood, knocking Icewing on her back. Reedwhisker sneaked up from behind Goku and leaped for his back. But the black tom side-stepped, causing the Riverclan cat to fall on his face. Pebblefoot and Mallownose ran to head him off as Goku padded the few steps back to Shadowclan.

He crossed the border. Immediately Riverclan halted in their attack. Reedwhisker spat out grass and dirt from his face. "Mistystar will know about this," he warned. Tawnypelt sighed, but didn't answer. Thankfully, Crowfrost had the decency to not reply either—

"Try it you Riverclan sum," sneered the black and white tom. Tawnypelt smacked her forehead with her tail.

Reedwhisker hissed, but gathered his warriors when they were done scenting the territory and left with their tails held high.

Goku stared after them. "They're not very nice," he mewed, turning to look at his mentor. "Where did the sudden hostility come from?"

Tawnypelt cuffed him over the head. "Hey!" he whined. She grabbed him by the scruff and roughly shoved him at the very end of Shadowclan's border.

"See this?" she spat, letting go of the tom's scruff.

Goku looked at what she was indicating. But he only saw bushes and a few stunted trees; border marks of Shadowclan. "No," he mewed slowly, looking up at Tawnypelt. "I don't see anythi—"

"Scent it!"

Goku shrugged. He opened his scent glands the way Tawnypelt showed him and tasted the air. Vegeta scoffed, mewing something quietly to Crowfrost. His mentor shushed him with a growl, telling him to listen.

"Don't you tell me to shut up!" Vegeta hissed.

"Then stop acting like a kit!" Crowfrost sputtered.

Tawnypelt ignored them, her eyes only on Goku as she tapped her tail impatiently on the ground. Her apprentice slowly closed his mouth, eyes full of understanding. He gave his mentor a look of apology.

"I get it now."

_Finally!_ Tawnypelt nodded. She looked up at the sky, gauging the time. "Let's head back to camp. We'll have to report to Blackstar about this." With a flick of her tail, she led her group back to Shadowclan territory. Only once did she glance Vegeta's way. He had a disappointed look on his face as he stared straight ahead.

_Was he expecting Goku to seriously hurt those cats?_ She wondered. Though Vegeta could have done that if he wanted, she still didn't trust him. Shaking her head, Tawnypelt looked away.

**((_endpage_))**

"So, how was your first day as a mentor?"

Tawnypelt waved her tail in a vague manner. At the moment, she was laying too comfortably on her side to bother with a more complicated gesture, letting some of the little sunlight that could push through the thick pine trees warm her pelt by the warrior's den. "Not as bad as I thought it'd be. But it could have been better."

"Apprentice disobeying?" Snowbird mewed sympathetically. She began grooming her snowy white pelt. Tawnypelt still found it hard to believe that for a Shadowclan cat that relied on shadows, Snowbird with her one blind eye could still stalk in the dark just as good as any dark-pelted cat.

_Guess it goes to show appearances are not what they seem to be._

The tortoise-shell she-cat shrugged. "Goku tries hard. But he's too... innocent... to take the warrior life seriously. I seriously can not see him doing that well if he got into a real with someone near his power. By his attitude, one good hit is all that's needed to keep him out of commission for good."

As she said this, Tawnypelt glanced at Vegeta. He was sitting moodily by himself, chewing mechanically at his toad.

Snowbird looked across camp. Goku could be seen carrying a frog to the Elder's den, his eyes curious as he looked through the den. "Ah well. Rouges weren't made into Warriors in just a day," she mewed wisely, her eyes straying to Rowanclaw. "Besides, Goku and Vegeta are not exactly normal rouges to begin with."

Tawnypelt nodded. It was true that her mate had been a rouge at some point. Same for Russetfur. But the problem was not Goku's skills. He already proved that more than enough. It's his willingness to comply with the demands of hardship that comes to being a clan cat. He could be the most powerful cat in the world, but if they didn't know how to control that power first, what good was it?

There was suddenly a loud screech of alarm by the entrance. Tawnypelt shot to her paws, as did Snowbird. Ratscar and Ivytail appeared in the entrance, escorting two cats into camp. Ratscar raised his tail to show that everything was okay while Ivytail escorted the two cats to Blackstar's den.

Tawnypelt felt her fur go down. It was only Mothwing and Willowshine, Riverclan's medicine cats.

Goku returned from the Elder's den, pawing away old bits of moss from his head. It seemed the Elder's were not happy about the prey he gave them and took out their displeasure by tossing their old bedding at the innocent tom.

He just noticed Riverclan's cats walk in Blackstar's den. Tilting his head in curiosity, Goku looked both ways. Tawnypelt pricked her ears. Satisfied no one was watching, or so he thought, the black tom began padding quietly to the Blackstar's den, using the shadows around camp to hide himself.

Tawnypelt didn't do anything but watch. Snowbird had left to get something to eat, so it was just her now. She narrowed her eyes as the apprentice made his way just at Blackstar's entrance den, pricking his ears at the opening to listen. Sighing, the tortoise-shell she-cat stood and cornered Goku.

"Tawnypelt!" he mewed, half surprised, half guilty. "Um—hey!" he protested as his mentor began pushing him into the den. Goku fell flat on his face in front of a surprised Blackstar and Russetfur.

She dipped her head. "Blackstar." She pointed her tail at her apprentice. "This one's been spying on you. Too curious for his own good, I might add, because he knows by now not to spy on you."

Goku looked up sheepishly at Blackstar's furious face and Russetfur's satisfied smirk. She looked to happy for the tom to be in this dilemma. But then again, Tawnypelt reflected, the deputy did hold a grudge against Goku and Vegeta.

Blackstar nodded at the Riverclan cats. "You may go see Littlecloud about the herbs," granted the Shadowclan leader. "But make sure to take only what you need, then look for Rowanclaw and Dawnpelt to escort you back to your borders."

Mothwing dipped her head. "Thank you Blackstar." Giving Goku a curious look, but keeping her mouth shut about the new tom, she flicked her tail for her apprentice to follow, and the Riverclan medicine cats left the den.

Blackstar turned his now angry eyes on Goku. They softened. "You may be new to camp, Goku," hr mewed quietly. "And I am glad you and Vegeta decided to stay. But you must learn to follow rules. As such." He sighed. "I'm going to have to punish you."

Goku tilted his head. "Punish me how?" he asked.

"You'll be cleaning the Elder's Den for half a moon."

"Oh." The black tom blinked. "But I'm already doing that now. How is it my punishment if that's an apprentice duty? Unless there's another meaing behind it..."

"You'll be cleaning out the moss in their nest every day."

"What?" Goku yelped. Blackstar flinched. But Goku didn't get angry and try to tear the place apart or threaten the leader. For a long moment, the black tom gave the Shadowclan leader a look that was too hidden for Tawnypelt to discern its meaning. Goku dipped his head, ears lowered. "I guess you're right," he murmured.

He looked up. "But I can still eat, right?"

Blackstar's fur fluffed down. "Yes, you may still eat. But only after you've cleaned the Elder's den and made sure everyone else in camp has eaten as well."

Goku's eyes widened. "So I'll have to starve for two weeks? I'll never make it!"

_Idiot,_ Tawnypelt thought while Blackstar shook his head impatiently. "No, that's not what I meant. Every day that you finish your apprentice duties and your punishment, then you can eat for the day! Understand"

Goku cuffed his paw on the ground. "Yeah, I get it," he murmured. A loud growl sounded in the den. Tawnypelt unsheathed her claws, looking wildly for the predator while Blackstar and Russetfur shot to their paws.

The growl came again. This time they were able to identify where the noise was coming from.

Goku's stomach.

He rubbed the back of his head with his fore-paw. "Um, can I get something to eat now please?"

Blackstar stared. Numbly he nodded.

"Thanks!" As Goku passed Tawnypelt, the she-cat happened to look his way, and they they locked eyes. She expected to see rage and anger in those black orbs. After all, Goku did have the power to destroy Shadowclan with a flick of his wrist if he wanted to.

But whe frowned when she saw shame and embarrassment color his eyes instead. How could the most powerful cat—scratch that, one of the most powerful, she thought remembering Vegeta—act this innocent and diplomatic?

She shook her head. It just didn't make sense to her.

"You know, I could have stopped him from even attempting to try to visit your den," Tawnypelt mewed, staring after Goku as he padded to the fresh-kill pile. "I saw the look in his face when he saw the Riverclan cats go in your den while he was still by the Elder's Den."

Blackstar growled. "Then why didn't you?" he spat. Russetfur too was giving Tawnypelt a look. But it was one of praise that Goku was in trouble, not disappointment.

Tawnypelt ignored her. "Forgive me, Blackstar. I was going to stop him, but when I saw Goku using the stalking techniques I showed him, I wanted to see how well he could pull it off. For a clumsy cat, I have to say he did a really nice job," she praised. "I doubt I'd even have noticed his movements had I not been watching him before that."

Blackstar placed a paw on his head. "Tawnypelt," he mumbled behind his paw. "We're here to train Goku and Vegeta to be warriors. It wouldn't do well if we allowed them to get in trouble." he raised his eyes above his black paw. "Especially the little one."

Tawnypelt suppressed a shiver. _Keep Goku if you must, but the little one we could do without_. She dipped her head. "I understand."

As she left the den, Tawnypelt couldn't help but feel that Shadowclan would have more trouble on the inside of their clan than with other clan-mates.

* * *

**On and off I may update this. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later. It depends how much heart I put into this. I don't like continuing a story I don't have the joy of writing about, because then it'd lose its meaning, become bland and dull, and not very exciting. But, that doesn't mean this story will be gone. At least not yet. Too many unanswered questions.**


	7. What comes around, goes around

"Alright. Battle training."

"Finally!" Vegeta goaded. For the first time, his eyes showed interest as Tawnypelt and Crowfrost sat side-by-side near the training ground. Goku was looking around, flicking his ears back and forth to the sounds of mosquitoes and frogs so fast that it almost looked as if they'd fly right out of his head.

Tawnypelt ignored him. "Okay, for today's lesson, we're going to show you a few battle techniques," she mewed, flicking her tail to Crowfrost." After that, we're going to see how you two do it yourselves." She pointed at Goku and Vegeta.

"Great!" Goku chirped. "I can't wait to learn warrior style battle training!"

"Not if I succeed before you do, Kakarot!" Vegeta boasted.

"Sounds like something we can bet on with a mous—"

Tawnypelt raised her tail for silence. "Remember, this isn't a contest to see who can learn the technique before the other," she reminded the apprentices. "It's just to show you how to use these attacks, and practice them on your own." She lowered her tail. "Some learn them faster than others, while those that may be behind at first learn later master techniques of a different variety sooner than others."

Goku frowned. "But it wouldn't hurt to be a bit competitive with each other. Gives us a rival to compete against and enable us to work twice as hard."

"Do that in your own time" Crowfrost mewed. "But today, we're just doing battle practice. Understood?" Both apprentices nodded. "Alright." Crowfrost turned to Tawnypelt. "How about we show them the Shadow Sneak?"

It was, Tawnypelt had to admit, one of the most admirable teachings she ever had. Both apprentices were eager to learn the new battle moves and were in their best behavior. They would ask questions about certain movements, payed attention to every detail, and kept on practicing the techniques in front of their mentors until they got it right.

Tawnypelt had never seen Goku as focused in battle training then she had in any other category before. It astounded her how the black tom was even able to come up with a few different strategies himself just with the little training she and Crowfrost gave him and Vegeta. If they had not been a bit clumsy with their paws when they first tired the battle moves, Tawnypelt would have sworn they were expert fighters already.

In fact, they could probably be the most powerful fighters of all Shadowclan if they kept this up. Next to having all the power Tawnypelt doubt even Starclan had, this only made her even more uneasy to be teaching their secrets to two history-elusive cats of great power.

((_endpage_))

"Lunch time!"

Tawnypelt frowned. She asked, quizically, "What's 'lunch?''"

Goku looked surprised. "You know. Lunch! The meal of the noon!"

"Oh. For that we just call it Sun-high mealtime."

"Yeah... great" Though Tawnypelt didn't feel the least bit interested with Goku's foreign wording as she carefully groomed herself. An act out of arrogance to find an excuse not to speak with him as he babbled to Snowbird about the techniques Tawnypelt taught him. But she did have to admit she feel pride when Goku spoke about his mentor that way.

A little praise didn't always hurt.

"So, what do we do now Tawnypelt?"

The she-cat didn't answer her apprentice automatically. She took her time grooming her whiskers. They could really get undone when she ignored them. "Now, I relax. You're done all your duties for today, yes?" She stared at him with her sharp eyes as she mewed this.

Goku nodded excitedly. "I made sure everyone had something to eat, and cleaned the Old cats' nests and gave them each a piece of mouse beside their nest."

"And you remembered to throw away the moss nest?" A nod. "Good. Well, then do whatever you like. So long as it's within Shadowclan's territory."

Goku tilted his head, confused. "You mean we're done for today?"

"That's what I just said." _He really needs to get his ears cleaned._

"No more battle training too?"

"Tomorrow, if we have time after our duties."

Goku sighed. "Okay." He looked around. Littlecloud padded in camp, carrying herbs far too much for his jaws. The black tom quickly skipped forward to help relieve him of the pile.

"And you, Goku," the medicine cat mewed. "It's been very busy here lately. And poor Flametail still has the fever that I had to do everything on my own."

"It's no problem," came the muffled mew out of the corner of the black tom's jaws.

"Tawnypelt!"

The tortoise-shell turned to the voice. "Yeah."

It was Tallpoppy. The she-cat had a scowl on her face. "Where is that pathetic Goku?"

"He's in Littlecloud's Den. Is something wrong?"

The elder sniffed. "He forgot to cover my nest with feathers!"

Of course. Typical Elder snappiness. "Oh... well, I'll be sure to remind Goku not to do it again."

She snorted, shambling back to the Elders Den. "See that you do." Shaking her head, Tawnypelt padded to the medicine cats den.

"You—you actually visited Starclan?" Littlecloud breathed. Tawnypelt froze.

"Yeah... I wasn't suppose to?" That was Goku. Against her better judgement, Tawnypelt quickly hid in the shadows by the entrance. A perfect hiding spot: she could see and hear what they said, but they couldn't see or hear her. Or, at least she hoped not. It had suddenly occured to her this was exactly the same place Goku had been hiding while trying to listen to Blackstar and the RiverClan Medicine cats.

She pricked her ears as Littlecloud stuttered, "No! Well, I'm not sure. No one except medicine cats and leaders were able to visit Starclan without the... um, Moon Pool before." He wasn't the only one feeling shocked, Tawnypelt thought numbly.

Goku tilted his head to one side. "What's the Moon Pool?"

Littlecloud looked away. "It's our clans' sacred connection with our ancestors."

"Oh." Goku flicked his ears in embarrassment. "Was I supposed to use it to speak to them?"

Littlecloud stiffened. He fully turned around to stare Goku in the eye. "What do you mean 'supposed to'? Didn't you visit the Moon Pool to speak with them?"

Goku shook his head.

Littlecloud suddenly sighed in exhaustion. He turned away, organizing the pile of herbs he had just picked. "Then I suppose they've visited you in your dreams for a reason," he mewed thoughtfully. "Though why they wouldn't recognize you I—"

"They didn't visit me either," Goku explained. "I just used Instant Transmition."

Littlecloud looked confused. "Instant... Transition?"

Goku nodded excitedly. "Yeah. It lets me teleport from one area to another by the blink of an eye anywhere in the world, or even the Galaxy! But I have to focus on a particular source of Kai, otherwise I might get lose" His eyes suddenly sparkled. "Wanna see? I can do it now."

"Not here you won't," Littlecloud mewed sharply. "I think I've already seen enough of your abilities to understand they are believable."

"But you have to see this one," Goku whined. "Don't worry. I won't blow anything up. It's as harmless as picking up a rock..."

Littlecloud gave him an exasperated look.

"... er, you know what I mean," Goku mewed sheepishly.

But the medicine cat was shaking his head firmly. "No. If you want to do it, then try it somewhere else." And with that he turned back to his herbs as an end to the discussion.

Goku stared at Littlecloud, bemused, then shrugged and padded outside the den.

Tawnypelt was not quick enough hide from him. "Tawnypelt?" Goku blinked in surprise. "What are you doing standing in the shadows there?"

"Uh..." She blinked. _How do you explain to an apprentice that you were not doing the exact same thing he had gotten in trouble for doing in the first place? _


	8. Battle of the sparring legions

"Well," Tawnypelt stuttered. "You see. I was just... um... "

Goku waited, head tilted to the side as his mentor struggled for an explanation. Evidently he was either too clueless to understand a cat caught in the act, or he knew and enjoyed watching his mentor babble.

She couldn't tell which it may be, though she suspected it was the former.

"I was... going to, ah... well, what are you doing here?" she countered defensively.

Goku blinked. "I was talking to Littlecloud about StarClan." His eyes took on a dreamy look. "Did you know they have a beautiful forest? And everyone there just seems to be made of bright light!"

"Really?" Tawnypelt lowered her head beside Goku's. Interest crept in her voice. She had heard stories about StarClan, but she never _saw _a StarClan cat before. "Do they truly shed stars like the stories tell?"

The black tom cocked his head to the side. "Shed... stars...?" He scratched his chin thoughtfully with a tail. "I think so. But it looked more like small white specks of light. Why, have you met them before?"

Tawnypelt didn't answer. She felt her head whirl. Goku actually visited StarClan! A mere rouge, whose not even Clanborn!

But wait. She was probably getting ahead of herself here. "So you say you met StarClan." Tawnypelt scrutinized her eyes. "Who did you meet?"

"I'm not really sure..."

_Aha!_

"They wouldn't tell me their names," he continued, playing with a bit of moss by the den. "One of them had this squashed face with yellow eyes. And her pelt looked in knots. The other was a black female cat, and the last was some male that was big and brown."

He used a hind leg to scratch behind his ear. "They confused me with 'Dark Forest.' Whatever that may be." He frowned and lowered his hind leg. "Tawnypelt, what is that?"

The she-cat didn't know either. But it didn't seem that important to her. Her mind was elsewhere, trying to remember a squashed she-cat with gray knots. Tawnypelt was not sure, but she could have sworn she'd seen that cat somewhere before.

But where?

**((_endpage_))**

Tawnypelt stared at the largest piece of prey she ever lay her eyes on.

It was a huge squirrel, towering over her like Blackstar's High branch. Everyone in ShadowClan dug in to the prey, happily chatting as they filled their bellies. Rowanclaw could be seen chatting with Whitewater. Tigerheart, Dawnpelt and Flametail were comparing the largest piece they had. Blackstar stood above them all on the squirrel's back, proclaiming ShadowClan could live off it forever!

Rowanclaw offered her some. Tawnypelt moved forward, mouth watering. It smelled so intoxicating that she could already imagine the flavors. She opened her jaws, lowered her head and—

A sudden explosion shook the she-cat awake.

Tawnypelt stood, fur fluffed and eyes wide with shock. _What in StarClan's name was that? _

Her pelt was covered with moss and bracken. But she ignored it as she pricked her ears. Grooming was the last thing on her mind.

By now most of her clan mates were already up as well, looking wildly around for the source of the noise. Amazingly, Snowbird slept on, snoring softly as her clan mates looked around tensely.

The tortoiseshell she-cat swept out of the den. It was dark, the moon blanketing camp with it's soft whiteness. Blackstar was already out in the clearing, his fur stood on end as he swept his gaze everywhere. He, too, was looking for the source of the noise. Littlecloud peered out of the medicine cats den with Flametail, their eyes glowing in the dark.

Another explosion rocked the forest floor, along with a shout from a distance.

Tawnypelt pricked her ears, listening intently. Rowanclaw appeared beside her. He looked around apprehensively.

"What in StarClan's name is that?" he mewed shakily.

Tawnypelt ignored him. Those voices sounded familiar. She locked eyes with Crowfrost. He stared back. Understanding bloomed in his eyes, ears angled to the lake.

"Don't worry everyone, everything's alright!" Tawnypelt called as a bright yellow light sparked the sky from the lake, temporarily lighting the whole sky.

Blackstar shouldered Rowanclaw out of the way. "Don't worry? Is that all you can say?" he nearly exploded. "Listen!"

He didn't have to tell her twice. Tawnypelt could clearly hear was sounded like pattering rain on leaves, except the sound was magnified a hundred fold. And a large splash that sounded as if a tree fell in the lake.

"Does that sound like nothing to worry about?"

She shook her head patiently. "No, I mean we know the source of the noise."

"You know...?"

"It's only Goku and Vegeta training."

**((_endpage_))**

Tawnypelt stared up at the sky, mouth open. But she was not even aware of it. She was thinking about taking back what she said about Goku and Vegeta "only" training.

Most of ShadowClan had gathered beside the lake to watch the two apprentices "training" above the lake. To some, such as Tawnypelt, this was the first time seeing Goku and Vegeta fly. She still couldn't believe it.

Sure, she had seen Goku and Vegeta sparing once or twice, moving so fast that they would literally disappear. And yes, their paws connecting did create small sonic booms that literally tore apart the very ground they stood, and blew Tawnypelt right off her paws that, from then on, she felt it was safer to watch their progress at LEAST ten fox-lengths away. Maybe more.

But NEVER had Tawnypelt seen the apprentices actually fly before. And, if possible, it only added to another list of worries.

A small black figure darted over the lake, flying just above the water as it streaked towards's ThunderClan's side. Another larger black figure followed closely after it. Suddenly the small figure disappeared, a torrent of waves rising from where it vanished.

Goku paused in his chase. He looked around. Vegeta couldn't have just disappeared.

At the back of his mind, he felt something spark. A strong energy. He looked up. To find Vegeta above him.

The small black tom leaned back, ears straight out. They twitched, and electricity crackled between them. He fidgeted for a moment, as if trying to keep himself together before jerking his upper body downward. A streak of purple lightning flashed down to Goku.

Goku yelped and moved aside. Loud crackling echoed across the lake and numbed Tawnypelt's ears as purple electricity sparkled through the water. Goku flew parallel with the water, careful not to touch it lest he electrocuted himself. He changed course zipped upwards like a fly. A black blur covered with red light.

Vegeta was caught completely off by the action that Goku was able to headbutt him cleanly in the stomach. The impact burst the very air. Tawnypelt could literally see the sky her surroundings waver.

"Tell me I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing," Scorchfur murmured. His eyes were wide, jaws open without his notice. Tawnypelt would have loved to say he was seeing things.

_If only,_ she sighed.

Blackstar too was staring up at the cats. But his eyes were not surprised of fearful like the other cats strung around the lake bed.

He looked almost satisfied. His mind going through the many possibilities to lead ShadowClan to greatness with these two cats in their Clan.

Vegeta fell from the air, clutching his stomach. He should have known Kakarot would go for the overkill! The sneak.

Goku hovered in the air for a moment. He watched as Vegeta plummeted down to the lake. But he knew his opponent would recover quickly. That headbutt was only to distract him for the _real_ surprise. He took a deep breath, slowly lowered his head. Blue light radiating from his mouth. Tawnypelt watched with narrowed eyes as Goku suddenly leaned his head back, opening his jaws wide to the sky.

Tawnypelt watched as a sudden burst of light escaped Goku's mouth. It speared the clouds in the air before it quickly formed and solidified into a large blue moon-like object of wavering light. It pulsed with power. Every beat shaking Tawnypelt's bones as it temporarily illuminated the sky. She could see all of her clan mates clearly in deep blue hues.

Vegeta regained himself just in time to stop himself before he touched the water. "Stupid!" he hissed angrily under his breathe. "I should have seen that coming."

A spark made the tom freeze. He looked up, scowling. But his scowl turned to surprise as he gazed up at the extremely large blue supernova the size of a large building. And it was hovering directly over his head. He could even feel the heat all the way down here. The water around him hissed and evaporated from the heat of the powerful ball of fire light.

Shrewfoot looked worriedly from Goku up in the sky to the frozen Vegeta just above water level. She shuffled her paws, inching away from the lake. "He's not really going to throw that, is he?" she asked quietly.

Tawnypelt didn't answer. She had no idea. She only hoped Goku wouldn't seriously throw it. She had a bad feeling about this.

Tawnypelt meowed in shock as Goku quickly brought his head forward and threw the large blue ball of pulsing light straight down.

"Goku, no!" she yowled to her apprentice. But he couldn't hear her. " Stop it—you're going to kill him!" This was not how apprentices should be fighting. This wasn't normal!

Vegeta's wide eyes was all Tawnypelt saw before he was completely engulfed by the fire light. She yowled in surprise as the bright blue ball of light became swallowed by the waves. But unlike real fire that dispersed the minute it touched water, Tawnypelt quickly came to realize this might not actually be fire.

The pulsing energy didn't dissolve as it sunk down in the waves. It just kept on sinking, the water around it sizzling and boiling to a point that steams abruptly covered the entire lake in mere seconds. She watched the water like everyone else as the darkness slowly swallowed up the blue light. And, unfortunately, Vegeta along with it.

Everyone was quiet as they stared at the lake, its waves still rocking back and forth violently from the impact. The steam slowly rose and swirled around in the cooling air. Crowfrost bowed his head. Tawnypelt couldn't blame him. He may not have liked Vegeta, but the black and white tom still looked to him like any mentor would to an apprentice.

Abruptly the area where blue light disappeared under exploded like the sound of many rumbling monsters. Plumes of water rose as tall as two Sky Oaks. By now all of ShadowClan had streaked back under the trees long before the water began cascading around them.

Tawnypelt lowered her head, ears flat as she stared up at Goku. She couldn't see very well, but his posture didn't lose its attentiveness as he stared down the lake. What did he expect to find, a body or something? There's no way anyone could have survived that!

Tawnypelt looked up at the black tom for a moment more before lowering her eyes to the lake. She blinked once. Then again to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. The whole lake's surface seemed to be glowing like hundreds of stars.

But that couldn't be right, she frowned. It was cloudy. Not a star penetrate the sky. So where were all these lights coming from?

Goku tensed.

Without warning the lake exploded. Hundreds of bright yellow balls of light the size of Tawnypelt's head streaked out of the water. She gasped. It almost looked beautiful, like fireflies flying upwards in the cold night air.

But the she-cat knew enough to understand that, though as nice as they looked, each of these bright yellow lights were not harmless. They were deadly. And they were all aiming straight at Goku.

The large black tom zipped to the left, dodging the many yellow bullets. Tawnypelt expected them to keep flying upwards. After all, the blue light Goku batted away in the air back in ShadowClan never stopped it accent.

But to her surprise they flew in a wide arc, coming back down to intercept the tom.

Goku evidently was not expecting this. He looked around, yelped in surprise, and began dodging the attacks, a black blur amidst many yellow lights.

Goku flew downwards, the hundreds of lights following him. He flew straight down into the lake, his body disappearing into its watery surface. The attacks followed closely from behind like a dog chasing a rabbit; they make ripples on the water like large rain drops as they pelted the lake's top after the tom below.

Tawnypelt bit her lower lip worriedly. Was there going to be an even larger explosion? Someone tapped her shoulder. It was Rowanclaw. He jerked his head to the lake bed. She followed his gaze.

She blinked.

There stood Vegeta. Sopping wet, and grumpy looking. But alright. One of his forepaws was outstretched, its end glowing and pointed straight at the lake.

Tawnypelt looked around at Crowfrost. He, too, noticed Vegeta. His face was in pure disbelief. It would have been funny had the circumstances been different.

Something like a rocket shot out of the lake. It was Goku!

Vegeta quickly raised his paw upwards at the black tom. Immediately the hundreds of balls of light flew upwards at his command, rising out of the lake like shooting stars.

So that's how the lights continued to track Goku! Tawnypelt realized. This was just like when Goku was levitating that small blue light for the apprentices with his paw!

Except this was quite different.

Goku looked down apprehensively. The balls of light were very close. He could already feel the heat suffocating him. And they were quickly closing the gap between him and them.

How could he avoid them? Goku wondered. Flying away wasn't working, and trying to blast them all at once would take his concentration away. Most would be bound to hit him, with many more to follow.

Maybe if he...

Goku paused in mid air. He watched as the lights come closer.

"What is he doing?" Tawnypelt nearly screeched.

Rowanclaw attempted to sit her down, but she shrugged his tail away. "Doesn't he realize that he's going to be blasted if he stands there?"

"Tecnically, he's not standing anywhere," her mate put in hopefully.

"Standing, flying, you know what I mean!" she spat.

Goku narrowed his eyes, waiting. Just a little more... not yet... Now!

He leaned back, anticipating his body. And pushed himself forward in a ball like a hedgehog. And spin. He spun faster and faster, increasing in velocity with each roundabout. A faint sawing noise came from the black tom as he became a spinning black blur. The balls of light shot straight into him.

But instead of make contact with the tom, Goku used his tail to slap them away. Each impact emitted sparks between them. They sprung off him like leaves out off a tree during Leaf-bare. And they fell like leaves, raining down on the lake. Each one made a yellow light of explosion the size of a small tree upon the lake's surface.

Goku continued spinning, slapping the hundreds of balls of light away from him. And with that, many more tree-sized explosions lined the lake. When it was all over, nothing remained except smoke arising from the waters, and the two black toms.

Vegeta gritted his teeth in frustration. He was not expecting a defense to be so... strange.

He uttered a guttural growl as Goku paused in his spin, his mouth glowing bright blue. He had been charging an attack while defending!

Goku yowled, the bright blue kameha-wave exploding from his mouth straight at Vegeta. The small black tom blinked in horror. He quickly shook his head. He lowered his body in preparation. He was NOT going to run away like a mouse!

He raised his head and yowled. And before Tawnypelt's very eyes, something strange happened.

It all appeared almost in slow motion. Vegeta's fur stood on end, glowing in pulses. One second he was a black tom shrieking. Next second a glowing golden cat, yellow aura pulsing off him in waves, stood before the tortoiseshell she-cat. He opened his eyes, green pools of orbs that replaced the black coals. He gazed calmly up at the rapidly approaching mouth blast.

Tawnypelt shuddered. She could even feel his power from here. It sent shivers running down her back. Beside her, Rowanclaw was currently holding himself steady, claws unsheathed and digging into the dirt to keep himself steady.

He looked scared.

_We're all scared,_ she realized.

A bright purple dome of light encased the small golden tom that was Vegeta. He lowered his body again and flew upwards to intercept the blast, the ground before him cracked open from the force.

Tawnypelt widened her eyes as Vegeta in his purple shield met Goku's mouth blast in mid-air. An explosion of light blinded everyone watching as they made contact.

"My eyes!" Tigerheart yowled.

Whitewater shook her head. "I can't see!"

Tawnypelt opened one watery eye. She quickly wiped it with her tail, looking up. At nothing.

She shut her eyes tightly, wiping them again. Her eyes were not playing tricks on her. Goku and Vegeta were gone. Vanished. She saw smoke, and bits of purple and blue sparks falling from where the impact came from. But that was it.

Wait...

She narrowed her eyes. Rowanclaw was calling for her name. She didn't answer as she looked around.

They were still fighting.

Goku and Vegeta were now doing paw-to-paw combat, moving so fast that their movements were a blur. And it appeared Vegeta had shed his golden pelt for his original black color.

Every now and then they'd disappear, only to reappear somewhere else in an instance. It was like trying to follow a fly's movement. They were just too fast for Tawnypelt to follow.

It was only the destruction of terrain that allowed her to locate them.

She leaped in shock when they appeared in front of her so abruptly that everyone around her, including Tawnypelt herself, arched their backs, hissing in alarm.

But the apprentices took no notice. Goku lunged forward with an aimed jab. Vegeta saw it coming and ducked. The paw splinted right through a tree.

Tawnypelt mrrowed in alarm as the pine slowly toppled. It fell with an almighty crash on the lake.

Vegeta ducked from another of Goku's blows and zipped under his stomach. He bit down hard on Goku's tail.

The tom yowled in pain. His body left the ground as Vegeta raised himself on his hindlegs, swinging the large black tom around and around, gaining in momentum.

With a large grunt he threw the tom as hard as he could. Everyone scattered as Goku flew past them, his body smacking tree after tree. Each of the structures toppled in a straight line. It sounded like the trees at the old forest falling when the large monsters had toppled them over.

Vegeta lowered his body and leaped forward, flying at high speeds after his opponent, leaving a large skid where he once stood. Slowly, the sound of his sonic boom faded. And silence stretched across the lake shore.

Under a thorn bush, fur fluffed to twice her size, Tawnypelt breathed quickly. She looked to her mate Rowanclaw. His eyes were closed, muttering a swift prayer to StarClan.

Tawnypelt looked to her other Clan mates. Their eyes glowed eerily in the moonlight under logs, behind bushes, beside trees and next to rocks. Blackstar's eyes met Tawnypelt's. They were furious.

"'Just training' you said," he growled.

Tawnypelt shrugged helplessly.

Pinepaw had her head out, looking at something across the lake. "Look!"

Beside the Island, small shapes could be seen by the waters' edge. The clouds parted enough for moonlight to shine upon the grounds for Tawnypelt to get a clearer vision. RiverClan cats.

They were staring at ShadowClan's border. She couldn't be sure, but she had a feeling they were looking at her and her clan mates.

Tawnypelt quickly ducked her head as a loud sonic boom echoed across the forest, its force reaching the Clan cats. She shuddered as she felt the force travel through her like wind.

She couldn't be sure, but she thought RiverClans' cats also must have felt something, for they had streaked off, disappearing through the Reed beds back to camp.


	9. Instant Transmission

Do you have bees in your brains?"

Goku frowned. "I don't think so," he answered truthfully. Russetfur smacked a paw to her face; Vegeta simply rolled his eyes.

They were currently in Blackstar's den. Russetfur was standing off to one side. Her eyes wary as she regarded Goku and Vegeta. The two toms before Blackstar as the ShadowClan leader berated them for destroying almost half their territory with their little "sparing match."

Despite the power these two cats possessed to take out Blackstar with just a swipe of their paws of they wished, he would not back down as he took his position as leader for his Clan.

"Almost every piece of prey's probably hiding or ran off after what you two did!" he spat. "Do you realize how hard it'll be to feed this clan after your incompetence?"

"That's why we used the lake," Vegeta pointed out.

Blackstar's fur fluffed, making him look much more intimidating. He bared his fangs. Didn't these two see the trouble they caused ShadowClan? Blackstar was beginning to have doubts about recruiting them into his Clan. They were careful to try and control their power enough to keep everyone safe.

But last night's fight told him that just using a fraction of their energy was enough to destroy everything around them as if it was weak moss. Yes, they had power above all else, enough to help them in case they needed it against Twolegs if they ran into that problem again.

But at what cost?

He breathed out slowly. His fur lay flat on his back, though not without difficulty. "You have have been trying to be careful, Vegeta, that I understand. But you two continued the fight in our _forest_. Didn't you see the destruction you two caused?"

Goku and Vegeta looked to each other. They turned back to Blackstar and shook their heads. Russetfur snorted and muttered something under her breathe.

The large white tom flicked a black ear. "That is exactly why I am wondering if you two are even allowed to be in our Clan. You don't even notice destruction if it's right in front of your eyes."

Vegeta sneered. "What do we care? This weak Clan is just holding us back in our training. If you cats will run around and scream every time we fight, Kakarot and I might as well just sit and do nothing all day. Hunting and patroling are not enough for us; we're warriors."

Russetfur bristled. "It's our way of life to keep us alive!" She growled, though her eyes were in check. "And unlike you two, we don't have special powers or anything. WE have to go through life the normal way. Warriors of our own right."

Vegeta rounded on the ginger she-cat. He snorted. "What do I care about your own way of life? You think this is hard? Hunting, paroling, and overcoming sickness? This is nothing compared to what we've been though."

He lashed his tail. Russetfur flinched, almost expecting him to attack her. "When you lose a battle, that's fine. You're still alive, aren't you? You still live another day, go about life as if it never happened.

"Not for us," he waved his tail to Goku and himself. "We only became this powerful because we needed to. To be prepared to face threats that were far stronger than us. And do you know what happens if we lose? We die. Our families die. Or friends die. Everyone in our planet dies.

"So don't you come at me with this "power makes life easier" because it doesn't. It only creates responsibilities and problems you never knew to exist in life."

Silence met his words. It hung heavy in the air. Vegeta's eyes reflected the many painful moments he had in his past, to fight or lose everything. Goku didn't say a word, his face serious. It was so startling and different from his normally innocent expressions that Blackstar thought he was looking at a whole new cat. Russetfur was torn between bristling or tensing her body to ready an attack.

Vegeta continued. "We're not even supposed to be here! We're only here protecting you worthless pieces of trash from—"

"Vegeta," Goku warned. The small black cat paused.

Blackstar looked from cat to cat. Vegeta's face was still twisted in anger, his fur bristling. Blackstar's ears flattened. The small black tom spat and turned away. Russetfur let out the breath of air she didn't even know she was holding.

Blackstar furrowed his eyebrows. "Vegeta." He waited for the black cat look him in the eyes before he continued. "Even though our lives are different, you are still living with us. And as such, you have to understand our problems too, and what we go through to stay alive. Hunger, sickness and enemies are our daily worries. It may not be the same as protecting an entire forest, or multiple forests, if that's your slang for "planet." But the meaning isall the same: to fight, live, and work together to see another day. Here, we're all family."

He paused. Vegeta's eyes clouded.

_He's remembering something,_ Blackstar though. He noted the way Vegeta's tail stiffened when he mewed, "family."

Goku looked sideways at his small friend before meowing, "We understand Blackstar. I'm sorry." He dipped his head. "To help you Vegeta and I will search outside the the forest for some food to bring back." He looked up. "No places around the forests where the other Clans dwell, right?"

Blackstar bristled. He didn't understand. Neither of them did. "That's not the point. Our warriors want to help as well. If you and Vegeta can do all the fighting and hunting, what are we here for?"

Goku frowned. "That can be a problem..."

The silence hung between them. Blackstar allowed it. He shared a glance with his deputy. Russetfur didn't look too happy, in fact he could tell she wanted nothing more than to shred Vegeta where he stood.

All morning ShadowClan's hunting patrols hardly came home with anything except a small frog. It worried the Clan leader deeply. His cats were already hungry now. Even when Goku hunted for his own food from the fish in the lake and Vegeta left to find a meal outside Clan territory, there still wasn't enough left over to feed everyone.

What's worse was the mutters Blackstar heard. All directed Goku's and Vegeta. The cause of such little prey because of them. And he had to be honest that they were right.

But they were also too afraid to say anything. It was good to keep them in line, use the energy hunting and patroling instead of waste it in fighting and arguing with one another. But it also worried the Clan leader to find his own Clan-mates are too afraid to stand up and share their thoughts.

This was definitely going against his plans.

"I got it!"

Blackstar jumped. "What have you got for me, Goku?" he meowed, the haze of his worries still hovering above him.

Goku smiled. "I know how to find access for food and let your warriors still hunt at the same time!"

**((_endpage_))**

A squirrel chattered to it companions. In this nameless forest, the sun was high in the sky, casting sunlight on the ground. It's warmth gave the small animals and trees life and energy to vitalize as they went about their day. Mice busily snuffled for seeds and played together. Flowers waved lazily back and forty. A playful wind breezed idly by, scattering loose leaves.

On a patch of undergrowth, surrounded by large oaks, a large group of cats abruptly appeared out of thin all. All but two of them fell to the ground. More dizzy from the ride and shocked by the abrupt scenery change than anything else.

The large black tom, whom had taken everyone on the ride, looked apologetic. But his eyes held amusement. "Sorry, it takes some getting used to when your body's broken down and traveling the speed of light."

Goku helped up Rowanclaw. He grunted a thank you before turning his head to vomit. "Vegeta did that too the first time he rode with my Instant Transmition."

Vegeta, who had been standing off to one side observing the forest returned a scowl Goku's way. But he didn't answer.

"Incredible." Russetfur stared around her. Back in ShadowClan, the patrol of cats Blackstar chose to hunt had all been gathered around Goku in the middle of the clearing. The black tom had made sure everyone was touching each other and himself bore placing a paw on his forehead, concentrating. A second later the snowy freezing wind transformed into warm and sweet-smelling forest.

And the prey!

Russetfur's mouth watered. It was numerous! She sniffed the air. So far she could smell no signs of enemies or predators. This was indeed amazing! But just to be safe...

She raised her tail. "Alright everyone, we haven't got all day. Gather around: Shrewfoot and Applefur, you two check the area over there past that undergrowth. Crowfrost and Whitewater, check the river. Foxes and other enemies are more numerous where there's access to water..."

While Russetfur paired those cats together to patrol their surroundings, Goku padded off alone to begin hunting. He knew none of them would want to hunt with him or Vegeta. So he decided to give them the space they needed.

Blackstar only gave them three hours.

Goku smiled. From the smells of prey wafting his nostrils, three hours should be more than enough time to gather the necessary food to feed ShadowClan and save the rest for later.

He spotted a mouse nibbling on a seed feet away. Quietly he inched forward and leaped, killing it with one blow. Proud of his catch, he dropped it by the already made fresh-kill pile. Wordlessly he drifted down to the river. Tawnypelt would be so proud to find her apprentice finally master the hunting techniques.

_And it only took about a few weeks of arguing, headaches and swears._ Mostly from Tawnypelt, Goku remembered with a smile.

Within two hours there was more than enough prey. ShadowClan were really putting up a good haul. Whitewater had commented that because of the absence of predators, the prey were less careful of their surroundings. But that just made it all the more easier for the Hunting Patrol.

"Okay, everyone ready?" Goku called. He was greeted by enthusiastic replies. "Remember: hold onto me, or a cat whose touching me, and make sure the food's touched as well." Immediately four or five paws touched the prey here and there. "That's good. Now..."

The black tom placed a paw to his forehead. He furrowed his eye-brows, ignoring the cats' stares as they waited. He reached out his senses, trying to feel for that one familiar pulse of life energy. Like a spider testing each thread of web to feel for the difference in weight it knew held the fly and its meal...

There!

He pin-pointed the area and nodded once. A moment later they vanished. And reappeared in ShadowClan camp. Toadfoot, who had been standing in the middle of the clearing walking back and forth, immediately jumped back in their sudden appearance. He hissed, fur bristling.

Russefur stumbled, but managed to keep herself from falling over again. "Stand down, Toadfoot. It's just us."

Toadfoot opened his jaws and paused. The wafts of prey floated in his nostrils. He looked over their shoulder, unable to believe what he actually saw. He was not the only one.

Cats from all over poked their heads out of the den. Their nostrils twitched at the strong smell of the abundance of food before their eyes. With shouts and cries of welcome they hurried forward.

As the hunting patrol split into pairs and shared the prey among themselves and bury the rest, Russetfur padded into Blackstar's den, a mouse in her jaws.

She dropped the catch in front of him. The leader looked up with some surprise. He had been lost in his thoughts. Too lost to have not noticed Toadfoot's hiss or the strong scents of prey outside camp. "The hunting went well, I presume?" he muttered.

Russetfur nodded. "Not only well, but excellent. I don't know he did it, but Goku was able to take a patch of forest that was not in Leaf-bare at all. More like Green-Leaf!"

Blackstar frowned. "Is such a thing possible? I though multiple forests everywhere would be in Leaf-bare as well..."

The deputy shrugged. "Goku found one that wasn't."

Blackstar shook his head in amazement. Inviting Russetfur to join him, he tucked in on the mouse. It tasted warm and fresh. "Russetfur, I think these two will make ShadowClan more powerful than ever, even if they do leave," he meowed discreetly.

The she-cat paused from taking another bite. "How do you think such a thing's possible? We're more than strong enough before they arrived." There was that guarded look in her eyes.

Blackstar sighed. "I know we are, but that doesn't make us invisible."

"But Goku and Vegeta are?"

The Clan leader shook his head. "Listen, if we encounter problems not even we can handle, such as Twolegs, or if all the Clans decide to attack us, we'll be in big trouble. We're strong, but not that strong!"

"Then we'll look to StarClan for help," Russetfur answered immediately. "They have been there for us before, they will do it again."

Blackstar stared. It was times like this he now realized why he made Russetfur a deputy. She was only a rouge when she arrived. But she proved herself to be just as loyal as the next cat. He never felt as proud of her as he did now to believe in her Clan and StarClan.

But Blackstar learned long ago that StarClan are strong, but they were not the most powerful things in this forest. He learned that about a moon ago. The most powerful beings were just outside his den.

For the next three days Goku Instant Transmissioned Hunting patrols to various parts of different forests not ravaged by Leaf-bare. On the third day, one member of ShadowClan never returned on the last trip back to ShadowClan.


	10. Kai equals Life Energy equals Headache

**Another chapter. That took a while. Sorry for the long wait. I've taken a TINY break off writing... except it equaled more to months. I only remembered to finish this because of I had this chapter in my flash drive when I was looking through the files today . I hope this chapter isn't too sloppy. This is my first of many I hope to write up after such a long break without typing another fanfic.**

**Anyway, enjoy this next piece. It's longer than the others, goody.**

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* * *

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**Kai equals Life Energy equals headaches**

ShadowClan was in silent pandemonium. The last Hunting Patrol to be teleported by Goku all arrived safely. Or so they thought.

Toadfoot was the first to notice something was amiss.

"Where's Applefur?" The young warrior asked to the group at large. He had been part of the hunt as well. And he had broken off his conversation with his sister when they all latched onto Goku to teleport back to camp.

Russetfur frowned. She knew Applefur was part of the Hunting patrol. So she should be here with everyone else. "Goku!"

The black tom was off talking quietly with Vegeta. But upon the deputy's command he bounded over at once, his face serious. "I know," he meowed before the deputy could open her mouth. Worry spiked the tom's black eyes. "I was just talking to Vegeta about it. One of our clan-mates is not here."

Russetfur narrowed her eyes when Goku said _our_ in the sentence, but pushed it aside. "Do you know what happened?" She asked quietly. She didn't want to start a panic with her Clan yet. She noticed Toadfoot listening and pulled Goku over to where Vegeta was standing by himself. "Did she forget to touch one of us before you teleported?"

Goku shared a look with Vegeta. Russetfur didn't understand, but she could tell from the silent he exchanged from the small black tom that it wasn't good. And she didn't like it.

"Goku." The black tom turned. "Scouts reported foxes in our last hunt! Whatever you do, find Applefur at once. If you don't, ShadowClan may not see this as an accident." _If it is one._

Goku nodded once to show he understood. He placed his paw on his forehead, and with a soft whoosh disappeared. Russetfur blinked at Vegeta before padding away to give her report.

**((_endpage_))**

Applefur felt as if she was in a nightmare.

She was hidden under a log, pressed against the back of a felled tree. Terror griped her as a large furry paw scrapped under the log, reaching out with long blunt claws to snag the she-cat. She yowled threateningly, swiping her claws. It did nothing but aggrevate the large creature further.

Applefur didn't know what happened. She had grabbed onto Russetfur like everyone else. But when Goku made everyone disappear, she was surprised to find that she was still here. In this unfamiliar territory. All alone, with no one around.

Then this... monster, large brown and lumbering, as big as a Twoleg, came along. And Applefur dropped the prey in her mouth and streaked under a log. To her dismay, the monster spotted her before she completely hid from view. And now it was trying to grab her.

Its claws scrapped her fur and Applefur let out another wail of terror.

Suddenly, the paw retreated and disappeared. There came scuffling noises, a large roar. What sounded ilke lightning thundered the air. The monster growled again, but much quietly. It sounded scared.

Applefur pricked her ears, panting heavily, her nostrils clogged with her own fear. Heavy paw-steps thumped the ground, but much father away. And growing fainter and fainter. The brown monster was leaving.

Applefur waited, tensed and shaking. Something that smelled like burnt leaves reached under her hiding place. What was that? Did lighting really strike? She inched forward causually. That couldn't be right, it's still light out!

A dark figure appeared in the entryway. Applefur shrieked and lashed out a paw, thumping the creature on the face. She spat, her body tensed and ready.

Goku staggered back, surprise alighting his face. "Applefur!"

The brown mottled she-cat blinked for a moment. Was this a trick of her eyes? "Goku?" she whispered. She blinked again. But the tom didn't disappear. He stood, shaking his pelt of twigs and debris.

He reached out a paw, concern etchecd on his face. "Are you okay?"

Applefur didn't answer. She searched warily for the monster. But nothing disturbed them. Just the forest, and birds singing away the golden sun rays. Something else caught the she-cat's eyes though. What looked like blackened areas littered just a few feet away from the log. And she could make out large paw prints disappear over bushes.

"Applefur?"

Said she-cat looked around. Goku still had his paw held out to her. "You don't have to worry about that bear. I took care of it."

Applefur ran forward and buried her nose in his fur. Goku meowed in surprise from the sudden gesture. "I want to go home," she whispered quietly. She didn't know what a bear was, nor did she care. She felt like a kit greeting a mother. But that didn't matter to the she-cat. She just wanted to go home to her familiar territory, family, friends, and threats she was used to. "I was left all alone, and this great big monster came, and I was just so confused and-"

"Applefur," Goku repeated. He shushed her gently. "I'd love to hear the rest of your story, but we have to get back now. Before your clan-mates start to worry about you, alright?" He could have teleported her now, while the she-cat was talking. But from his stay in ShadowClan, Goku learned that the cats didn't like to reveal their "weakness" in front of one another.

He'll give her time to regain herself before he took them home.

Applefur nodded quickly. She took a few deep, steadying breathes. And reached out a paw to touch his shoulder. "I'm ready."

Goku nodded. In the blink of an eye, both he and the she-cat vanished, to return back to ShadowClan.

**((_endpage_))**

It seemed any trust Blackstar hoped for ShadowClan to share with Goku and Vegeta was ruined. Applefur turned out to be okay, but she had been shaken deeply by the bear's assult. Besides working together during hunts and patrols, few tried to speak to Goku. And no one even bothered to go anywhere near Vegeta save Crowfrost. His look was all that was needed to be said.

Blackstar himself was having doubts about these cats. But he wanted to give it one more try before he completely gave up on them.

"Goku?"

The black tom's ears pricked, but his attention was fixed on his large fish he caught from the lake. It's been three days since Goku introduced his Instant Transmition to teleport hunting patrols to specific areas in other forests' not yet ravaged by Leaf-bare. And for three days ShadowClan had the most comfortable parts in their lives they've ever had during a snow day.

But after what happened with Applefur, Blackstar felt it was best if they relied only with their own territory to hunt for prey. Although Goku still used the teleporting technique to bring back prey every now and then. So ShadowClan were not starving, but they were not full fed either.

However, there were still cats such as Russetfur, who frowned using what she called "Outsiders" help. And felt they were not putting enough trust in StarClan by relying too much on Goku and Vegeta.

But even with the incident with Applefur, Blackstar could see some who were not complaining. Mainly those with full bellies or kits that were well fed thanks to their mothers' health. Especially Spiderfoot, who somehow looked to Goku as a hero after the tom saved him from a badger. And Applefur began looking to Goku as a father figure, much to the tom's embarassment.

"Blackstar?"

The ShadowClan leader shook his thoughts away. "Goku, I had been wondering: have you always had these powers? To fly, shoot light and... well, all this strengh and speed?"

Goku shook his head. "Nope. I only knew martial arts. A form of fighting style," he added when Blackstar furrowed his eyebrows quizically. "But everything you see me do, I had to go through special training and work myself for it." He smiled that goofy smile. "But it all payed out in the end."

Blackstar felt excitement bubble underneath his pelt. He kept his voice calm as he meowed, "So, you're saying anyone can learn how to fly and use these... light attacks?"

Goku nodded. "Yup. Why? Do you want to learn?"

Blackstar stared. The Clan life around him muted. He could't believe it. This was perfect! Goku-and maybe Vegeta, if he was up for it-teach ShadowClan how to become stronger-no Clan would truly be a match for them.

Nothing would.

He could imagine his warriors, teleporting freely across vast regions for prey if their own territory's not fit for it. A lone Warrior challenge and defeat a fox, or possibly groups of foxes, easily without trouble. To be able to fly and save energy. They'd be unstoppable!

The ShadowClan leader took a deep breathe. He had to choose his next words carefully. "Goku, it's not just me. I was hoping if you could teach my warriors how to fight like you too. We'd really appreciate it. Consider it as payment for teaching you our way of life," he added.

"Sure." Goku's eyes swiveled around camp. "But do they want to learn?" Doubt edged his tone and a few cats who noticed his stare glared back.

_They'd better. _"Of course they will. In fact I'll announce it right now."

"Silence!"

The furious yowls that sliced the air gradually quited. Every ShadowClan cat had their head tilted back to gaze up at their leader perched on the High Branch. Ready for another bout of arguing. Blackstar stared back with defiance.

"Now listen," he snarled. "Do you not see the advantages if we learned how to manipulate their powers? This is a gift we more than could have asked for-"

_You mean what you asked for,_ Russetfur thought. _None of us asked for this._

"-and I think the best thing to do is take it now while they're still here. Do you think Goku and Vegeta will be here forever? Remember, they're only here to learn from us, and in exchange help the Clan. After they've learned all they need from us, they will move on."

His words affected them all. They looked at one another, doubt swirling their hardened features. Then up at the snow-covered pine trees. He had them in his grasp. He looked over at Goku and Vegeta confidently. Goku was too busy munching on his large fish. But the small black tom was staring at Blackstar suspiciously. The Shadowclan leader couldn't understand why though.

"We must learn from them, so that we can become stronger. I've thought up some training programs we can have with them at the training grounds. A total of five cats will be trained by Goku in Sunrise. Five more will by Vegeta in Sun-high. And we start again tomorrow with five different cats."

He eyes bore into his Clan-mates, willing them to agree. They were scattered before him in their many colored pelts, but all with a single goal: to become stronger.

None of them said a word. They all looked at each other doubtfully. Even Applefur looked as if she didn't like the idea of flying, but rather happier on her paws. Although there were a few excited glances, especially from Pinepaw. But still, no one said anything.

Blackstar felt his heart drop.

Tawnypelt dipped her head. "I'll give it a shot." Rowanclaw shot his mate a surprised look.

"Me too," Toadfoot took a step forward.

Murmurs of acceptance flowed through the cats. Goku shared a look with Vegeta. Blackstar missed the message exchanged between them.

He was too focused on his cats. He felt he can take ShadowClan to much better places. One not even StarClan could reach. And he'll make sure they're all safe and loyal to each other, ensure they won't need to look to anyone's elses' help but each other, or die trying.

This would be the beginning of a new era for ShadowClan.

**((_end page_))**

"Again," Goku commanded.

Scorchfur groaned. "This feels silly," he protested, scuffling his paws on the snow in irritation.

It was morning. The sky was muddled with gray clouds that reflected the five cats in the training grounds. Today Goku was to teach the five of them the basics of mental work. After going through a thoroguh explanation about how the mind is essential is creating and harnessing the energy, Goku got them all to raise their paw and concentrate. He presented mind relaxing techniques and breathing excercises to help with their training.

But that didn't make it any less easier. Tawnypelt felt silly standing there staring at her paw to will something she doubt could happen.

A freezing wind blew past the small group, shivering them to huddle into a group for warmth. Goku raised his eyebrows at Scorchfur. "This is just mental training. Give it a chance before you make up your mind so soon. We've already done some physical stretches to limber up your muscles and feel more positive. Just take your time."

The gray tom grumbled but said no more. Tawnypelt personally felt he had a point. Try as she might, there was just no way she could produce this soft white light Goku showed them before the start of their lesson."

Goku walked around the cats in the training grounds, creating small trails on the frosty white ground. "Remember, it's all a matter of controlling your kai," he explained. "It's like trying to learn how to hunt. Once you get by the basics, it paves way for hundreds of thousands of different techniques on how to stalk and hunt almost anything you need. If you can do that, anything's possible."

"But how can you be sure we have this kai you keep talking about?" Tigerheart chimed in. His face looked scrunched up, as if he had to make dirt. His eyes burned into his paw.

Goku stopped beside Russetfur. "All life has kai.. It's the very thing that gives life the energy to, well, be alive," he finished lamely.

He stared off for a moment. Scorchfur shared a confounded look with Russetfur. Goku looked back at them. "I suppose you could call it life energy. And everything that lives, breathes and consumes has that."

He patted scrubbed the snow off the pine that grew just out of the training hollow, it's branches sloped over them to create a sort of rough roof. "Even this tree here has energy of its own. It's just learning how to control it that's hard" He patted the rough bark confortingly and pulled away, his paw sticky with sap. He made a face while the cats around him sneezed in laugher.

"A tree that has kai too?" Crowfrost muttered to Tawnypelt's ear. "What's next, a flying log?"

_I hope not,_ Tawnypelt thought. _Otherwise we'd truly be in a forest of crazy._

Goku, grooming his paw, heard. "Not in that sense, no," he put in between licks. "Althought if the tree had a conscience, it probably could. Nature itself saved my life more times than I can count whenever I needed to borrow some of their energy for the spirit bomb."

"Spirit... bomb?" Pinepaw tilted her head. "What's that."

"I'll explain some other time." Goku leaped back in front of the cats. "Back to positions peopl-I-mean-cats!"

Reluctantly the students got into line and stood before Goku again. Tawnypelt raised one of her paws and stared intently, determined to relax her mind. To focus on the apex point of that energy that flowed within her. She couldn't help but feel a bit silly. Goku had to be leading them on a wild frog chase. How else coul-

"I got it!"

Tawnypelt looked around. As did everyone else. Pinepaw's excited expression immediately glumed. She stared at her paw. It didn't look any different. Just a black paw. "What happened? It was glowing and everything, and then it just stopped..."

Scorchfur blinked. "Are you messing with us?" Russetfur narrowed her eyes as she regarded the apprentice thoughtfully.

"No, I swear!" Pinepaw insisted. Her fur bristled indignantly as the cats around her stared back dubiously. "I was relaxing my mind and everything. And felt something on my paw, and light came out of it! Goku, you saw it right?" she asked, looking to the tom for help.

Goku shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry Pinepaw. I didn't see."

The apprentice let her head fall. "So no one believes me."

Before Goku could respond Scorchfur meowed, "Are you sure it wasn't the sunlight or something?"

"No." Althought doubt now began to creep in her voice. "I mean, I don't think it was." Tawnypelt could see the clear disappointment and confusion in Pinepaw's eyes as she struggled to find a clear explanation. Ratscar shook his head at Scorchfur and patted his apprentice's head.

"She's telling the truth."

Scorchfur snorted at Goku. "How can you be sure? You just said you didn't see-"

"I don't have to see to know," Goku interrupted. "I felt it."

"Felt it?"

"A small spark of energy." Goku turned away from the disbelieving look on the gray tom's face and smiled down at Pinepaw. "You did very good. The problem was you lost focus, surprised from the abrupt expelling of energy. But that's a very good start Pinepaw. I'm proud of you."

The apprentice's eyes glowed wild with excitement. Scorchfur and Ratscar glared at Goku, along with Russetfur. Trust issues still had to be settled. Tawnypelt herself didn't know whether to believe it or not. Goku was possibly just trying to cheer her up or something, she decided.

"An after thought," Goku called. "This isn't easy. An attempt to use kai can drain you a lot if you can't control it. How does your paw feel?" he asked the apprentice.

Pinepaw lifted it experimentally. "A bit numb, almost as if I've been running on it all day." She looked worried. "Is that normal?"

Goku nodded thoughtfully. "That's normal. If you feel too tired, take a break and relax yourself. Focus on meditation if it'll help."

But Pinepaw didn't want to relax. She practiced with the other cats as they began to try and replicate their kai again.

As Tawnypelt concentrated on her paw again, willing for something to happen, she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of irritation at the thought that an apprentice was able to do something a trained warrior like herself couldn't do first.

* * *

**That small bit with Instant Transmission is to show us that, as a cat, Goku and Vegeta are not completely in control of their abilities. It'll take them some getting used to manipulating and controlling their power in foreign bodies like felines. So it would cause trouble when performing complicated attacks like the Instant Transmission every now and then. Or to try to eat ice cream on a cone with no opposable thumbs :C**

**To answer the questions from the previous chapters, I am thinking of including another DBZ character into the fanfic. But I gotta think about how this might affect the current storyline. This isn't all random. It will be explained why Goku and Vegeta are cats and how they ended up in ShadowClan.**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	11. Meetings & Lessons

"Blackstar, we need to talk."

The ShadowClan leader looked up from his nest. Russetfur blinked down at him with a look he recongized all too clearly. He stood slowly, stretching each joint. "What is it, Russetfur?"

"It's about them being here."

"Goku and Vegeta?"

Russetfur gave him a what-do-you-think look. "When will they leave?"

Blackstar sighed. This again? He swiped a tongue over a paw. "Russetfur, you know they won't leave until we're finished the lessons."

Russetfur made a face. "How much more training does ShadowClan need?" she demanded. "Pinepaw and Toadfoot know how to fly. And all of us already know how to create light with our paws and most of us can sense another creature's lifeform. We don't need them anymore-"

"Russetfur," Blackstar cut her of. "You already know what I'm going to say. As if that didn't stop the she-cat from trying. "These are gifts ShadowClan should treasure, not avoid. The longer they're here, the better."

"But we don't need this!" At this the russet-colored she-cat held up her paw and sparked a reddish hue of light from her pads. It pulsed with her own power and rage. She cast it an ugly look before dispersing it with a wave of her paw. "We never needed this! ShadowClan were doing just fine before they came along."

"Really?" Blackstar felt a cold draft enter the den. He expanded his energy a bit to keep himself warm. In the process he sensed neither Goku nor Vegeta anywhere in camp. That explained why the she-cat found the courage to come talk to him about them now. "Try telling that to our warriors, after they've defeated ThunderClan flawlessly over our territory. Or managed to keep themselves comfortably full during Leaf-bare, without Goku's teleporting assistances anymore."

"We could have done that without them," Russetur muttered. Out loud, she said "So why are they still here?"

Blackstar felt his patience slipping. "Because we still have much to learn." He stood. "I will not continue with this debate anymore." He walked past the she-cat. "This is the best thing to happen to us. Now hurry up and gather a hunting patrol. The stock is not low, but it couldn't hurt to have an extra pile ready."

Russetfur lowered her head. "Sometimes I wonder if we're losing our faith in StarClan," she muttered to herself.

**((_endpage_))**

Goku sat patiently before a wide, flat rock. Or, as patient as the tom could make himself, twitching his whiskers and flicking the tip of his tail. In front of him sat four cats. Their pelts sparkled like stars, their eyes bright as the sun. At the moment they had their heads down, muttering and twitching their own whiskers. Every now and then they'd shoot Goku a look before returning to their quiet discussion.

What they did not realize was Goku could hear them clearly.

He was surrounded by many cats. Each who sparkled like the cats on the flat rock. And each who regarded the lone and star-less tom with curiosity, suspicion, hostility. And fear.

Goku's black eyes fell on an old dark gray she-cat with knotted fur. The StarClan cat made contact with his eyes and glared. Yellowfang, if Goku remembered correctly. One of the cats who attacked him when he first arrived in StarClan. Beside the she-cat was a large and muscular dark brown tom; the same tom who also attacked Goku: Raggedstar.

He was not looking at Goku at the moment. He was conversing quietly with a dark brown mottled tom. He could tell they, like everyone else here, were scared.

Scared of what he told them.

Goku turned back to the flat rock. The muttering had ceased. The four cats regarded the tom for a moment. They let the quiet settle before one of them, an old black tom with fierce amber eyes, stepped forward.

"Goku," he meowed with a voice clawed with age. "We have come to an argeement."

Goku held his breathe.

"We do not believe you."

What? This not what Goku expected. He jerked to his paws. "Cat-I mean, Nightstar! I know this sounds crazy. But you HAVE to trust me!"

"Why?" Challenged another cat. Bluestar stepped foward. "Why should we listen to anything you're telling us? For all we know, you could be a spy sent by the Dark Forest themselves!" The cats surrounding the rock fluffed their pelts and bared their teeth at the mention of Dark Forest.

"Are you serious Bluestar?" Tallstar meowed. "If he is a Dark Forest cat, how could he live with ShadowClan?"

"Don't tell me you belive this rubbish about a Twoleg becoming a cat Tallstar!" Bluestar growled. "Indeed, not even a Twoleg he tells us," she snorted, jabbing a tail in Goku's direction. "But a creature born from a place father than even the stars? And from a completely different "Universe" he calls it? The cat's insane!"

"He's probably not a Dark Forest cat, but he might still be working for them like the others," Leopardstar pointed out.

Again with this Dark Forest accusation?

Goku whisked his tail nervously from side to side. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I've never heard of this Dark Forest before. But you have to agree that at least some of what I've told you are true."

As an example, Goku held up a paw and lightning bolts sparked and popped. They surrounded his paw like strings, twisting and twining with his claws. The StarClan cats jumped and hissed. With a flick of his wrist the lighting bolts popped and vanished.

Nightstar frowned, struggling to flatten his fur. "He does have a point..." Doubt still clouded his eyes.

Goku noded quickly. "If Vegeta and I ended up here, there's no telling who else may come to our exact spot as well from our... home." Or what.

"Do you have proof of this?" Tallstar asked quietly.

Goku shook his head. "But it's better to be safe than sorry, isn't it? At least in ShadowClan, we can learn how to fight in these bodies while we watch over them."

"StarClan can watch over our own Clans without help," Leopardstar said sharply.

Goku dipped his head. "I get it, but you must set your pride aside for once. You don't know the danger you all might be in-"

"So now you're threatening us?"

"No!" Goku placed a tail to his forehead. Diplomacy was not his profession. "Look, I don't know what's going on either. All I know is, Vegeta and I didn't come here for no reason. Or come here as cats. I've been told you can see the future-"

"We can't 'see' the future," Bluestar interrupted. "We can only predict and fathom."

"Still, that's something," Goku meowed, struggling to hold back his annoyance. "If you have any sort of prediction that shows mortal peril for the Clans, PLEASE tell me. I can't do this on my own, and it wouldn't hurt if we worked together."

The StarClan cats looked at each other doubtfully. "Alright, fine," Bluestar meowed. "If we have any interpretations about the future, we'll share them with you." Goku couldn't help but notice the way the she-cat looked away when she said this.

"But, know that after this is over, our ties with you are done," Leopardstar added. "You will leave us for good. Understand?"

Goku still felt unsure. But he nodded all the same.

He had to take their word for it. There was no other way he could do this on his own. And his Instant Transmission was not as safe for him to use anymore to see for himself. He would have been happier if he had contact with King Kai instead. The fat creature could locate anything in the entire Universe. But he would have to settle for this for now.

Goku could not help but feel lonely at the thought that he and Vegeta might actually be stuck here forever.

He dipped his head to StarClan. "That's all I ask. Thank you."

Before the deceased StarClan leaders could say another word, Goku wordlessly he placed a paw to his forehead and vanished.

**((_endpage_))**

Tawnypelt waved her sore paw. "I think I'll try and skip today's lesson," she muttered.

Snowbird looked up from her intense private thoughts with her own paw. She touched pelts with her friend comfortably. "But you're doing so much better," she pointed out.

Through the few weeks of intense mental training, Tawnypelt finally managed to mold a bright purple light with her paws, and to better control it so it didn't feel like her paws would fall right off from exhaustion. But while she managed to control her power, Pinepaw had gone as far as to produce pawfuls of light that she could control easily, and even float off the ground for long periods of time!

"I still don't see why we have to do this," she muttered, her eyes following a floating Pinepaw. Kinkfur's kits squealed and followed after the apprentice from below, trying to grab her tail.

"I thought you liked to learn about kai," Snowbird meowed, stunned.

Tawnypelt nodded. "I do. What I don't like is that Goku's looking for a fox for us to train with." She lowered her head to her paws. "Or why Blackstar agrees."

"Well, yes, that part does sound a bit crazy," Snowbird agreed. She bit her lower lip worridly. "But Goku said he'll be watching us, in case anything happens. And he said the only way for us to improve is to take on more difficult tasks."

"Which sounds crazy," Tawnypelt shot back.

Snowbird didn't answer. She had her attention to her paw again. That too also happened a lot lately around the Clan. A dark shadow cloaked the she-cats. Russetfur stalked past their small group, a frog clutched in her jaws. She sat beside the nursery alone and tore viciously into her meal.

"Do you think she's doing bad on purpose?" Tawnypelt meowed quietly. Her eyes strayed to the russet-colored she-cat. The deputy had her head down, focused entirely on her meal as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Though every now and then she'd shoot dirty looks at Blackstar and Vegeta.

The ShadowClan leader was beside the high Branch, talking quietly with Vegeta with his head bowed. Though why the deputy wasn't included in the conversation was beyond Tawnypelt. She could see Russetfur was clearly annoyed she was left out.

"What?" Snowbird looked up, her eyes sparkled with confusion. "Russetfur? I heard she already knows how to make light. But she doesn't like to 'show-off.' I don't know what she means by that." She stared at her own paw. "But I wouldn't mind doing that too. I can't even make a spark!" she fretted.

Tawnypelt struggled not to roll her eyes.

**((_endpage_))**

"Foxdung! I'm late!"

Tawnypelt bolted out of the Warriors den, shaking sleep from her eyes. Today was her lessons with Goku and the others. The sleepy she-cat washed herself as she passed Vegeta, who was teaching Applefur to shape her light into different forms, almost collided with a floating Pinepaw ("watch it!" Tawnypelt nearly snarled) and ran the rest of the way to the Training grounds. By the time she got there the sun was already struggling to peak over windClan's hills.

Tawnypelt slid out in the open of their small clearing free of pine needles. Long Pine trees towered above them, casting long and dark shadows in the small bare and chilly Training grounds. Except it was not as dark here as it usually was. It was bright and... blue?

Tawnypelt looked up for the source of the light. A bright blue energy ball was floating a fox-length above the she-cat's head. It cast a blueish light around their surroundings. Too bright, she thought irritably. And it smelled... odorless.

"Tawnypelt!

The she-cat looked around. The rest of the group were in the middle of the clearing, standing attentive in front of Goku. Their normally dark pelts looked bright and unnatural in the light. Eyes glinted as they waited for the she-cat, standing just a little aways from a large black tom. She blinked spots away and quickly suantered over to the group.

She squeezed herself between Ratscar and Sparrowpaw just when Goku meowed, "Now, split up and practice!"

"Huh?" Tawnypelt looked around wildly as her clan-mates immediately paired and began doing whatever it was Goku explained. The black tom immediately saw that she was partnerless and beckoned her over to him.

"Late again?" Goku meowed when she got within hearing distance. His eyes looked a bit disappointed as they gazed into her amber orbs. "This was not the first time you didn't show up to a lesson either."

Tawnypelt lowered her eyes. "I overslept."

Goku raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "Tawnypelt," He lowered his voice. "If you don't want to do this, no one's forcing you-"

"No!" She looked up quickly. How could Goku say that? She was quite interested in learning more about how to produce light ever since she saw her other Clan-mates do it and realized it wasn't just a hoax. Though some of Goku's teaching did go a bit too far for the she-cat's taste, like with the fox, she thought most of them were quite fun. "I want to do this! It's just... very hard, that's all," she explained lamely. An image of Pinepaw flying flashed through her mind. "I just... don't think I have what it takes to go further beyond," she muttered.

Goku stared at her for a moment. He placed a paw on her shoulder sympathetically. "If you need the extra help, you could always ask Vegeta... or, just me," he added quickly and removed his pse from her shoulder, noting the incredulous look on Tawnypelt's face when he mentioned Vegeta's name. "Don't get so worked up over this. You all have the potential to be ten times as strong. Some may develop their abilities faster than others."

Tawnypelt felt suspicion claw her pelt. Was Goku refering to Pinepaw? It was rumored that Goku had asked Blackstar if he could train Pinepaw himself, after the she-cat succesfully flew after only a few attempts. She really did look like the type of cat to have the potential to go farther than others.

But Pinepaw was still apprenticed to Ratscar, the latter whom resulted to giving Goku glares every time they met after he found out the Rouge was trying to take his apprentice. Tawnypelt suspected Pinepaw was disappointed she was not given a say in the matter; the apprentice was always the one excited to take these lessons as much as anyone else.

"Tawnypelt?" Goku prodded when the she-cat didn't answer.

Tawnypelt broke off from her thoughts and nodded sligthly. It wasn't her problem. Goku briefly explained their lesson for today. They already knew how to conjure light with their paws. Except instead of produce the light, they had to concentrate and spread the energy to their paws, without releasing it. Then transfer that energy to another body.

"It's not easy," Goku warned after he finished explaining. Like any of this was easy from the start, Tawnypelt thought. "But you guys have been practicing and developing your abilities so well in such a short time that I didn't think it'd hurt to try." He reached out a hind leg and scratched behind his ear. "But don't try to over-due it," he meowed. "You don't want to give up all your energy and exhaust yourself unconscious."

A horrible feeling choked Tawnypelt's throat. "Can cats die doing this?" she meowed quietly.

"I doubt it." Goku lowered his hing leg and studied his his claws. "You would be too tired to try to get THAT far. Most likely they'll knock themselves out from energy loss before it can get that far.

Tawnypelt still wasn't convinced. She looked around. Pinepaw had a paw to Ratscar's shoulder, her yellow eyes tightly closed. Ratscar's body was tensed for the power he may not receive from his apprentice. The she-cat might as well try pushing a tree. Olivenose was doing no better. Sparrowpaw stared blankly at the she-cat without a hint of any foreign power. Spiderfoot and Rowanclaw were not doing any better either; it almost looked like the tom's had to made dirt badly from the look on their faces.

Tawnypelt bit back a laugh and looked back when Goku meowed, "Now, I'll transfer a bit of my own energy to you. You may feel a bit... hyperactive. But remember, it also feel different because it's not your power. Think of it like tasting a new type of food."

Tawnypelt found out quickly enough that the tom was not lying. Goku only gave what he called a "tiny" bit of his power. He had to be lying. When the black tom placed a paw on the she-cat's shoulder, the energy Tawnypelt felt was anything but "tiny." She felt a mysterious and abundance amount of energy travel from her shoulder, slip through her entire body, molding and forming with her own.

She felt so... powerful! And so hyper. Tawnypelt's eyes widened. Was this what true power felt like? _I feel like I can run ten times around the lake without a problem!_ The sleepyness she felt disappeared in a flash, and she twitched uncontrollably, struggling to attain the sudden power. It was like being a kit all over again!

Tawnypelt absently jumped, hoping to expel some of the abundance of energy. But this also brought a surprise to the she-cat. She was leaping twice as high!. Tawnypelt yowled in surprise as she landed none-too-gently, and immediatly leaped again. In no time the she-cat was bouncing all over the training gounds like a rabbit. Much to her Clan-mates' amusements, who stopped their lessons to watch the she-cat's antics.

The she-cat felt so alive! So free! So... tired.

Ten minutes later Tawnypelt was lying exhausted by a rock, too tired to even lift her head.

Goku placed a tail to his jaws, struggling not to laugh. "Well-"

"Don't," she muttered. Her voice slurred. "I don't like this lesson." She covered her eyes with a paw to wipe the silly smirk of the tom's face. He did this on purpose. "I'll skip this lesson."

"If you say so," Goku's voice sounded disappointed again. But she didn't care. Tawnypelt kept her eyes closed, listening as her Clan-mates continue their studies. After the lesson, they gathered around the tom for a last minute speech, and to ask any questions they might have.

"Goku?"

"Mmh?"

"I've been wondering, why do all of our magic lights look different?" Spiderfoot crinkled his eyes in confusion. "I don't get it. Mine is purple, but Ratscar's is yellow."

"It's sort of hard to explain." Goku blinked thoughtfully. "The color doesn't really matter, but they can still vary. It depends how you concentrate that energy, the power behind it, and how you manipulate it. Such as my kameha wave."

He waved his paw. " It's blue, while an attack such as Vegeta's Gallik gun is purple."

"Even pink?" Crowfrost snickered.

"Or rainbow," Pinepaw meowed.

Sparrowpaw jumped "How'd you get here?" She squeaked.

"Flew," Pinepaw answered as if it was simple. Interest crept in her eyes. "Hey! Maybe we can learn to make black light attacks, for ShadowClan's color!"

"Or Purple."

"Dark blue?"

"Nah, that's more for RiverClan."

Tawnypelt opened her eyes. She was going to suggest they give it the color of Who-gives-a-fox-dung? But she kept her jaws closed when she saw the look on Goku's face. It was strickened. His eyes had a faraway look, filled with a rare pain the she-cat saw him display. Tawnypelt suddenly felt a powerful force blast her face.

She stumbled back a couple of paces. Her paws still felt heavy as rock. The rest of her Clan mates looked around, eyes wild. They felt it too. What was that?

Goku hissed, long and soft, through gritted teeth. His pelt stood on end. Another wave of of invisible energy pushed Tawnypelt and the others back.

What as going on? Tawnypelt struggled to control the force of invisible waves that rocked her entire body. It was all coming rom Goku. The tom's face was contorted in fury. His black eyes slitted with rage, his eyelids nearly shut. He twitched and uttered a low growl. For a moment, Tawnypelt thought she saw his pelt flash gold. The wind picked up. She felt her face grow hot, as if the temperature suddenly increased. It burned and seered her face that she had to squint her eyes.

The grass singed under the tom. Small wisps of smoke rose from his paws, sizzling the ground beneath him. Tawnypelt back away. He heard fluttered to her throat. She never saw Goku like this. And it was scaring her terribly. Was he trying to pull a joke on them? Somehow she didn't think so.

"Goku!" Olivenose yowled. She had her head down against the pulsing heat. "Goku, what are you doing?"

The black tom's ears twitched. Goku looked up. Tawnypelt nearly reared back in surprise.

His eyes were green.

Goku gazed at Olivenose blankly.

"Kakarot!"

Out of no where Vegeta landed beside Goku. His ruffled, waving back and forth violently at this close proximity to Goku's torental release of power. He reached out and shook Goku violently with both his paws.

"Kakarot, control yourself!"

Goku blinked. Realization slowly clawed its way to his eyes. He blinked again. When he opened them Tawnypelt saw they were back to their original warmth. With a hint of confused. Gradually the air cooled.

"Vegeta?" Goku mumbled. He shook his head. "What are you doing here?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. The rest of the cats hung back hesitantly. "You mean to tell me you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"That you almost killed everyone with that stupid stunt!" Vegeta exploded. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

Goku placed a paw to his forehead. "I'm not sure," he mumbled.

While Tawnypelt walked away with the rest of her Clan-mates, she couldn't help but look back at the two toms. They were still talking quietly together in the middle of the Training Grounds.

She did not know why. But at that moment the she-cat felt more afraid of Goku than she did of Vegeta.

* * *

**This took a while to update. Some of you are probably impatient, but you sometimes can't rush these things. ****I've been having many different ideas about how to make this that it took a while ^^"**

**Good news everyone! You can now vote for your which Dragonball character you'd like to see in this Fanfic. It's located on my profile. The character who wins will play an important key in the storyline, but even if no one votes (Which I hope's not the case, I would like to know what the readers like D= ) I already have a character in mind for who will show up.**

**But, yeah, get voting. And the Dragonball Character to win will also be a cat too, of course! =3**

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	12. New Arrival

Vegeta yawned.

He blinked blearily, his black eyes trailed the fluffy clouds below him; they shone and twisted in sparks of different hues and colors. The wind felt good on his aching body after a hard training with Kakarot. He lazily skimmed a paw lower, sliding it over the tops of the fluffy clouds. For such soft looking things, they felt cold and wet to the touch.

Vegeta didn't know where Kakarot was at the moment. Only that he had used that Instant Transmission of his to disappear after their training was over. He had been using that technique for hours at a time. And always he'd come back with that disappointed look on his face. He never told Vegeta where he went, so of course the small black tom got angry and annoyed.

But in the end he just let it slide. It had nothing to do with him.

He retreated his paw and ducked under the clouds. He watched the whole planet before him, the lands and oeans. So tiny, his sharp eyes, thanks to his cat anatomy, watched the cars that drove throughh streets and paved mountain plains. Vegeta let his thoughts slide to ShadowClan. Personally, for warriors he didn't think there was much to boast about. Vegeta almost had the urge to just leave Kakarot to play with them and live alone. Sometimes he felt trapped in that tiny terrain of theirs. It was not suited for a Warrior like himself.

But, he had to admit, living in a Clan did come with some advantages.

Vegeta broke off from his thoughts and decended, falling faster and lower. The wind rushed tortentingly through his fur. The blood roared in his ears and his heart pounded with each second. At the last moment Vegeta righted himself and flew horizontally, his belly fur skiming the tops of some willow trees.

A human in a crisp black suite stood beside a green Minivan, one foot out of the car in front of a nice two story buidling. But he seemed to have forgotten about his foot. His head was tilted back, mouth open as he stared up at Vegeta. The black cat stuck his tongue out at him as he passed by the human.

Vegeta lowered his head and concentrated a bit of kai behind him. the energy twisted and condensed. It shook with impatience as the tom held it in. At the last moment Vegeta released the energy at once. The shockwave he emitted from his speed created a large white vapor of mist behind him, exploding as the black tom broke the sound barrier. His ears whistled in protest as he flew higher and higher, going faster than the speed of sound.

The rush of adrenaline! It felt so good, with the wind tearing into his fur that Vegeta temporarily forgot where he was. Lost in the joy of flying. He felt so alive, so powerful, that he could just explode from pure happiness!

Vegeta blinked and looked around. Something bright and yellow exploded, just out of the tom's line of vision, almost like a bomb. The tom slowed. At least a few hundred kilometers ahead of the explosion. What was that?

Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows, the familar scowl trailed his features. The power behind that explosion. It felt very familiar. Almost as if he had crossed paths with it before. But could that mean...

Vegeta hesitated, his body airborne above an Oak tree in an empty park, his tail scrapping the upper leaves. He stretched out his senses, and opened himself. He could feel every beat of life from the largest human to the tiniest insect, all intertwined and threaded in a web of life. A complicated yet simple resound of life. Vegeta carefully strung each web delicately, looking for that familiar cord that strung a long lost beat...

There!

Vegeta opened his eyes wide. There was no mistaking it. He was right. But did that mean others were here too? Did they escape? He would not find out floating here like an idiot.

With a burst of speed Vegeta flew after that familiar power surge, hoping against hope he was right. This could be the break they've been looking for to escape this planet.

The problem was, Vegeta did not know if he wanted to leave.

**((_endpage_))**

Border patrol!

Tawnypelt couldn't quench the flutter of excitement. She tried to keep her paws steady as she followed a patrol of ShadowClan cats through the dark Pine forest. She skimmed through pine needles and raced Ratscar in a quick race. No fighting or learning about kai and meditation. Or anything to do with mainpulating kai. Just a nice, safe border patrol. The familiar feeling of responsiblity made the she-cat feel warm inside.

It was times like this that Goku was demoted back to her apprentice. A plus for Tawnypelt. She looked around at the black tom. Goku was trudging along at a steady pace, his ears pricked at every sound that echoed in the forest. Something zipped out of the corner of Tawnypelt's eye. Pinepaw came into view. She floated around the black tom's head.

"Goku, let's race!" she meowed excitedly.

"Not now," Goku answered.

Pinepaw pouted. "Why not?"

Goku looked over his shoulder. Ratscar trailed behind the group, a sulky look on his whiskerly face. "Because you have to ask Ratscar if it's okay-"

"Which is not!" The dark brown tom answered at once, before Pinepaw had a chance to open her jaws. "ShadowClan are here to patrol, not play games." Tawnypelt wondered if Ratscar remembered that he had been doing just that with her, or if the tom was just trying to make a point.

Goku shrugged apologetically to a downcast Pinepaw and walked ahead. The apprentice lowered her head sadly. She floated lower and lower, as if completely drained. Her paws skimmed the flooring and she walked the rest of the way.

The ShadowClan patrol arrived a the very edge of ShadowClan territory and split up. It was much breezy here without the cover of trees. Tawnypelt led Goku, Owlclaw and Shrewfoot down to the lake's edge, while Smokefoot took Ratscar and Pinepaw up a small and steep hill on the opposite edge of the terrain.

The cats didn't even start their inspection before Owlclaw looked up, ears pricked and eyes alert.

"ThunderClan," he murmured.

Tawnypelt looked up. She couldn't see or hear anything. Was he using his other senses, she wondered. Why couldn't they leave that behind for now?

"That's not important," she meowed stiffly, when the Warrior continued to stare over the border. "Our job is to rescent and inspect the borders. Get to it." The light brown tom opened his jaws, but closed it and set to work instead.

Tawnypelt edged a little aways from the group. Without the cover of trees, it felt a bit more drafty here. The she-cat fluffed her pelt against the cold and looked at the group again. Goku was staring at a fish on the lake's edge, completely entranced. Owlclaw was arguing with Shrewfoot about the track's of a prey that either crossed over to ThunderClan or went a different direction.

The she-cat closed her eyes and stretched out her senses. She could feel the tree's life beside her, as if it was one giant heart beating in rhythem of her own. She could feel the other trees pulse and thrum with life too, almost like touching pelts with a Clan cat, except's she was not really touching any of them.

She stretched out her senses further. She could feel a small pockets of life, moving and twisting around other trees. Small animals like birds and squirrels, much harder to sense because of a lack of power behind it. One of them felt familiar though, much larger than the smaller animals, but not as large as the tree. It almost like her own.

Bramblelaw.

Tawnypelt opened her eyes. She still couldn't see or hear anything, but she could sense them coming this way. The she-cat shook her head in wonder. This was an amazing technique indeed.

By the time ShadowClan were finished on this side of the border, ThunderClan just arrived. Brambleclaw came first, followed by Whitewing, Berrynose and Toadstep. The ThunderClan deputy glanced once over the ShadowClan patrol before he instructed his Clan-mates to fan out.

"ShadowClan scum."

Tawnypelt looked around. Berrynose had his teeth bared, creamy pelt fluffed with rage. His eyes were set on Goku.

The black tom blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Don't think we're giving up, just because we lost our chance for our territory," the ThunderClan Warrior continued. "ThunderClan will take back what's ours."

Goku didn't answer. He looked Berrynose up and down, his black tail curled neatly over his paws, the very tip twitched and curled thoughtfully. Goku's lack of hostility just seemed to infuriate Berrynose more.

He took a menacing step closer.

"Berrynose!" Brambleclaw ordered. "You're supposed to be on border patrol, not start fights."

Berrynose sniffed dismissively. He turned and stalked off. Tawnypelt had a feeling that if the tom still had a tail, he would have slapped Goku over the face with it.

Brambleclaw's gaze lingered on the ShadowClan patrol temporarily. He eyed each of the warriors, a bit of confusion peaked through his stoic features. Tawnypelt knew he was surprised she and her Clan-mates looked comfortably well fed with sleek pelts, while he and his clan mates were ragged and starving. She felt sorry for him. But knew he was more than strong enough to survive.

Are we doing the right thing? She wondered for the umpteenth time. Was it fair ShadowClan won their territory back because Vegeta took out half of ThunderClan's Warriors in the blink of an eye, before the battle even started?

Owlclaw noticed Brambleclaw's scrutiny. "What's wrong ThunderClan?" he taunted, also eyeing Brambleclaw's ragged pelt. "Having trouble feeding yourselves? We just had a feast this morning."

Brambleclaw didn't answer. He merely snarled at the light brown tom. Giving his sister a nod, he turned and began scenting around his territory with his patrol.

With ShadowClan's job done, Tawnypelt gathered her warriors to meet with Smokefoot's patrol. She noticed, with some amusement, the way Shrewfoot kept asking Goku if he was alright after Berrynose threatened him. It was funny to her because she knew Shrewfoot knew that Goku could take care of himself against a whole Clan of cats without breaking a pant.

Goku kept answering he was fine, although an edge crossed his tone when the she-cat persisted and touched pelts with him to the point that the black tom flew.

Shrewfoot looked up, disappointed. "No fair, I can't fly!" She called angrily.

Goku didn't answer. He merely waved with his tail.

**((_endpage_))**

The minute Tawnypelt came back to Camp, she knew something happened. She sensed excitement fizzle the air. ShadowClan were whispering and talking amongest themselves, glacing over at Blackstar's den every few seconds.

"See you later, Tawnypelt," Shrewfoot called as she burst out of the entrance and ran to the Fresh Kill pile for a bite to eat. The rest of the patrol followed. Tawnypelt, meanwhile, had her eye on a ginger tom. She stopped her mate before Rowanclaw duckd his head in the warriors den.

"What's going on?" she asked curiously.

"Vegeta brought a new cat here," he answered. He still had one paw in the den. The tom sighed and retreated it " Who, I don't know. I didn't get to see. Blackstar's talking to the loner at the moment. Russetfur's in there too."

"Was the cat hurt?" Tawnypelt looked at the Leader's Den curiously.

Rowanclaw shrugged. "I don't think so."

Tawnypelt felt curiouslty prick her pelt. It was odd enough Vegeta would bring a cat here to ShadowClan, if there was nothing wrong with them. But it was more odd that, well, it's Vegeta who was the one to do it.

Tawnypelt pushed the thought away and took her mate to the Fresh-kill pile to share a frog; however, Rowanclaw complained part of the way until the she-cat grudgingly let him go and take a nap.

The tortoise-shell she-cat didn't have long to wait before Blackstar came out, accompained by a sour Russetfur, Vegeta, and a tall black tom.

Tawnypelt narrowed her eyes. Was that Goku? But the Rouge had gone to get some fish. What was he doing in the Den?

Blackstar scanned the camp with his eyes, looking for someone. He shook his head and muttered something to Vegeta. Without another word the small group left camp.

Tawnypelt stared after them with her other Clan-mates. Her paws itched with curiousity. Where was the cat Rowanclaw mentioned? Did he or she leave? But then he would have seen them go? Outside camp to meet in private maybe?

Tawnypelt cast an eye around camp before she walked, as naturally as she could, outside. She looked around curiously and opened her jaws, drinking in their scent. She blinked. One of them didn't taste familiar.

"Come for an invitation?" Said a growly voice.

Tawnypelt squeaked and whirled around. Vegeta glowered up at her.

"Vegeta!" Tawnypelt gasped. "I was just.. ah... "

"Calm youself," he muttered. "And stop stuttering! Kakarot said you can come too."

"Oh..." Tawnypelt meowed blankly. "Well then... shall we get going?" Vegeta didn't answer, he stalked away, tail held high. Tawnypelt huffed. Ignorant tom. She followed him up a ravine, down the other side into a dark shade of close-growing pines. Here the pine needles were more numerous, the sky harder to penetrate through the trees.

They walked a little farther, until a clearing opened up suddenly. Goku was there, along with Blackstar and Russetfur. A few fox-lengths away from them lay a large fish. So he had gone fishing. But then, who was the cat that was just in Camp...?

Tawnypelt looked at the group more closely.

Goku looked ecstatic, his tail wrapped around a black pelted stranger.

Tawnypelt stared.

This cat looked just like Goku. Except younger. Goku kept gossiping on and on. The black cat looked from Goku to Blackstar, Russetfur and back, his face a mask of confusion. Blackstar and Russetfur sat just away from them, watching with some exageration. Goku, for a much older cat, looked like a kit next to the younger tom.

"Kakarot," Vegeta meowed. "She's here."

Goku broke off. "Tawnypelt!" he called. He beckoned her. "I'd like you to meet someone." He waved his tail at the stranger. "This is Tawnypelt," he introduced to the she-cat. "She taught me how to fight and hunt in this form."

"Erm... hello," Tawnypelt muttered to the new cat.

"Tawnypelt?" Blackstar looked at Goku suspiciously. "Why is she here?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Blackstar," Goku meowed. "she already knows." Tawnypelt's tail stiffened. How did Goku know? Rowanclaw found out himself, and told her. Unless... her head them?

"What?" The ShadowClan leader turned his fierce amber eyes on Tawnypelt. "How did she find out?"

Tawnypelt flinched under his gaze. "It's... it's because-"

"I told her," Goku interrupted. "She's my mentor. I thought it'd be nice to share it with someone." He turned his black eyes on the tortoise-shell she-cat. "Isn't that right?"

"Ah... yes!" Tawnypelt meowed quickly, thankful for Goku's quick thinking. She owed him one.

The stranger, who had been staring at them silently for a while, shook his head as if to clear bees from his brain. He stared at them all again. "... are you all Puar?" he asked stupidly.

Puar?

Tawnypelt looked at the others for answers. Blackstar shrugged.

"No, they're just normal cats," Goku assured. "Puar's a talking cat in our time," he explained to Tawnypelt. "He could transform into things."

"Oh," was all Tawnypelt could say.

The black tom's eyes flicked back to Goku's, as if he still couldn't believe what he saw. "Dad..." he muttered.

Dad?

Tawnypelt looked from Goku to the stranger, once again noting their similarities. A heavy feeling fell to the pit of her stomach. Did that mean...?

Goku failed to hear the stranger's meow. "Tawnypelt, I'd like you to meet my son, Gohan!"

"Son?" Tawnypelt meowed blankly.

Goku nodded proudly. Gohan still had that stupid look on his face, his black eyes never leaving his father's. "You're a cat too," he meowed pointedly.

"No duh," Vegeta muttered. "And the cats you saw in camp were our warriors," he explained.

Tawnypelt tore her gaze away from Gohan to glare at Vegeta. She didn't think it was approcpriate for the black tom to refer to them as something that was below him. But the she-cat kept her jaws shut.

"Nice to meet you, Gohan." Tawnypelt meowed instead, dipping her head.

Gohan didn't hear. He stared Goku up and down for a few moments. Without warning the once innocent and confused eyes hardened considerably. Gohan's features twisted in such raw anger.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Gohan asked coldly. He shrugged off his father's tail and glanced over at Vegeta. His dark eyes deepened. "Why are both of you here? Did you know we were still fighting that monster?"

Tawnypelt furrowed her eyebrows. Monster? She looked to Blackstar and Russetfur for support. Neither of them looked as if they knew what the young tom was talking about.

"Because of you, we failed to kill that monster," Gohan went on. "Buu is still alive."


	13. Beginning of a New End

Tawnypelt looked over at Goku. Apparently he didn't expect his son to be so angry either. His face was too shocked by his son's harsh words to come up with a proper reply. Vegeta came to his aid; or, possibly for his own.

"It's not like we wanted to stay here, brat," Vegeta growled. "Kakarot and I couldn't leave this dimension because his Instant Transmission was not working properly."

Gohan scoffed. "Or you two were too cowardly to return."

"What?" Vegeta took a menacing step foward, his tail stiff. Gohan didn't waver. "You little pest. If I had the chance I would have tackled that monster and shown it what-"

Gohan barked a yowl of a laugh. "Oh, right. Is that why you were beaten down and tossed aside like garbage? Or why you and dad both abandoned us to that thing? At least Krillin tried to fight back!" Gohan roared.

He rounded to his father. "But if you could have teleported us away dad, more of us could have survived. Including my little brother, your son!"

Goku's eyes glazed over. He gritted his teeth. "Gohan, listen to me," he meowed seriously. "Vegeta and I had no intention of running away-"

"Seemed like it to me," Gohan muttered.

"But we left to get help," Goku finished ignoring his son's interruption. "How are they?" he asked worridly. "Are the others safe? What about Dende? If he's still alive, we can wish everyone back with the Dragonballs."

Gohan looked from his father to Vegeta suspiciously. "You didn't know."

"Know what?"

Gohan closed his eyes and looked away. "They're all dead."

Vegeta stood fully. "You lie."

Gohan snapped back to glare full-face at Vegeta. "I wish, Kami help me, I want to believe I might be wrong. Everyone: Goten, Trunks, Piccolo, our families, the planet. Even the entire universe. I saw it happen..."

Vegeta's legs gave away. Goku quickly held him up. The small black tom hardly registered his presence.

"I thought we would be stuck like this forever," Vegeta whispered. "But I had hoped the others would make it somehow. Did that monster die too?" he demanded.

Gohan blinked. "I don't know. Dad?"

"What?"

"Have you sensed anything odd around here lately?"

Goku shook his head slowly. "I don't know. That's why I've been trying to master Instant Transmission again. It's not easy with this body. So far I've had no luck."

"Maybe because there is no home to go back to," Vegeta muttered, his eyes blank. "That thing did destroy our universe, and itself along with it."

"No," Goku shook his head. "I... I'm can't be completely sure. But I don't think Buu's dead."

"You mean even after it destroyed an entire Universe, the damn thing's still alive?"

Tawnypelt glanced at Blackstar. The ShadowClan leader's amber eyes were narrowed. He listened intently. Although how much the white tom could understand, Tawnypelt had no idea.

Goku flicked his tail. "I don't know if Buu is dead. Maybe. But I still can't work up the Instant Transmission to ask King Yemma if Buu is dead or not. So the least we can do is keep our guard up, right?"

Gohan shrugged. "I guess." Vegeta grunted. Tawnypelt and Blackstar answered with blank faces.

"So let's just relax for now," Goku meowed, forcing his tone to be light despite the seriousness of the situation. "Care for a spar, son? I can teach you how to fight in these bodies."

Gohan glared at his father. "Our family and friends are all dead, and all you can think about is training? No thanks," he muttered. Without a word the black tom turned and slipped away. Goku opened his jaws, as if to say something, but closed it and cast his eyes downward. Tawnypelt never saw Goku this defeated before. Then again, she could not blame Gohan either.

The thought of losing ShadowClan, her family, friends, all dead, made the she-cat involuntarily shiver.

She jumped when she heard a soft scrape. Goku was dragging his tail behind him as he made his way slowly through the forest.

"Tell me, this Buu, is it a Twoleg?" Blackstar asked quietly.

Vegeta snorted. "I wish," was all he mewed before the black tom floated away.

Blackstar stared up at where the top of the branches Vegeta disappeared to. He looked at Tawnypelt and raised his tail. The she-cat followed him back to camp, all the while her mind whirling.

"Goku."

The black tom shook his head. "I'm sorry, what, Bluestar?"

The gray star-speckled she-cat was not pleased his mind was elsewhere. "I said, through careful evaluations, we did find something that might interest you."

"Does it concern Buu?" Goku asked sharply.

Ever since Gohan's confirmation about the destruction of the Universe, Goku was now sure more then ever that he and the others may be stuck as cats forever, not that he completely minded. But he had hoped maybe Kaioshin, the God of their Universe, would somehow over-ride the effects of this transformation. But he didn't get his hopes up that the Gods survived. Neither Heaven, Hell, nor the most sacred Sanctions of the Universe were safe from the monster's slaughter.

But, if Buu did somehow die in the aftermath, that was a plus for the safety of other Universes such as this, Goku had reasoned. Although, there was still that small, morbid feeling in the back of his mind that wouldn't leave him alone. Too often he and his friends let their guards down, only to find their enemy returned, much stronger, dangerous, and even less merciful.

This would be no different.

And if Buu was gone forever, then what? Goku had not sensed any Namekians, or a species similar to that Alien race on this Universe, so he did not expect to find Dragonballs here. In fact the only afterlife he came across here were very plain, with beings not as powerful as he would have liked.

Bluestar shook her head. "I do not think so. Nothing... pink, in these visuals, the way you described this Buu. No, it concerns someone else."

"Who?"

As an answer Bluestar jerked her head and trekked down a well worn path. Goku felt slightly impatient. He wanted to wrap this up. But he dubiously followed after the Starclan cat. At the bottom they stoppd in front of a small puddle. Goku stared at it curiously for a few moments, then looked up at the she-cat. "It's a puddle," he mewed stupidly.

Bluestar sat in front of the small body of water and beckoned for Goku to do the same. The tom sighed dejectedly and obeyed.

"Watch closely."

Goku bent down. That was odd. Just a moment ago the puddle reflected the clear blue sky above his head, with some dots of clouds and the edges sprinkled with the tops of trees high over their heads. It did not show this now. Unfamiliar colors and shapes swirled on the surface with their own momentum. They twisted, stretched, and distorted themselves like smoke and liquids. Slowly, the images sharpened, and Goku found himself face-to-face with a small black cat with even blacker eyes.

_Vegeta?_

Goku looked at Bluestar before he gazed at the image again. There was no doubt about it. This was Vegeta. But why? As Goku watched, the small black tom's entire body began to shrink, until he as nothing but the size of a tiny mouse. Floating in a deep blue lonely plane of existence. Goku was so fixated on the tom that he was quite surprised when two slits of red eyes opened behind Vegeta.

Compared to Vegeta's small form, these eyes were enormous. They covered the entire length of the puddle. The eyes criss-crossed, shooting daggers at Vegeta's lone figure as he drifted lazily in front of them. A slit opened at the bottom, a large mouth with long sharp fangs.

It leaned forward.

And ate the Saiyan feline.

Goku blinked rapidly. It happened so face he barely had time to react. It took him even longer to realize he was staring at his own wide, terrified eyes on the surface.

Goku glanced up quickly. "What does that mean?"

Bluestar shook her head. "I don't know. But whatever this is, it ties to her your little friend there. He's part of it... I strongly suggest you keep an eye on him."

Goku gawked. "You think Vegeta is up to something?"

The StarClan she-cat shrugged. "That I can't tell you. All I know is something grave is going to happen, and he's somehow in the middle of it."

"Are you serious?"

Vegeta grunted. "How many times do I have to tell you? Yes-we should be on high alert. No-we will probably not survive if Buu comes here."

Blackstar still looked unsure. He glanced around at the Clan. Tawnypelt could see he looked deeply troubled; a few days ago she overheard Blackstar speak with Russetfur about plans to take over all the Clans under ShadowClan. But now these new events completely halted those plans. She tried to focus on her mouse but found she couldn't. Her stomach was in knots after listening to Gohan's story, half of it she didn't understand. But enough to realize that this Buu was like nothing they ever heard of before. "But we have gotten stronger. Enough to take on all the Clans," he argued. "Surely we should be more than a match against this creature?"

Vegeta closed his eyes, his tail lay slack over the edge of the branch he laid upon. A piece of leaf fell. None of the cats took notice. Until it burnt to a crisp a mouse-length before it reached his fur.

The tom opened his eyes and screamed. A harsh golden light erupted from his body, blinding Tawnypelt and everyone in the Clan. The ground shook violently. The she-cat could feel her very bones tremble as she struggled to balance on the shifting flooring. Vegeta's screams pierced the air, hurting her sensitive ears. Her heart thumped wildly against her chest when she heard a large crack rip through the soil. The very power of the Saiyan feline was causing a chain reaction.

_This cat is crazy!_ She thought fearfully. _He's going to kill us all!_

"Vegeta!" Blackstar roared. It sounded dim in the chaos. "Vegeta, enough of this!"

Vegeta's screams died down. Gradually, the air calmed, the light began to diminish. Tawnypelt still saw blurs and spots of light, but at least the ground stopped quaking. She rubbed her eyes irritably. An immense boom exploded, rocking Tawnypelt off her paws.

She coughed dust and blearily opened her eyes. Where Vegeta stood was now a smoldering small crater, still smoking slightly. Even as Tawnypelt felt out for his life energy, she could feel him rapidly leaving them.

She hoped he didn't return

Hello everyone!

I'm very sorry it took so long for me to get back to this fanfic. A lot has happened in my life, I stumbled to a bit of writers block, and eventually just gave up on this. But upon starting a new Zelda Fanfic, it gave me the inspiration to get back on this. I still want to complete it. So again, sorry for all this, and hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!


	14. Gohan's chapter: a prequel

**A prequel**

Relief.

Happiness.

Exhaustion.

So many emotions passed through Gohan when he saw his father appear. In his torn orange gi, standing next to Vegeta and Buu. They looked as if they'd been through hell and back. Blood coated their clothes, their hairs ruffled and their bodies were full of scars.

Goku didn't seem to notice. He smiled and waved his arms like a little boy.

They did it. They defeated Buu.

They were currently in Kami's lookout. They had been on edge, tensed, hoping against hope Goku would come out victorious. And he did. Everyone was safe. Buu was dead.

Goku was chatting with Krillin. Buu was allowing Trunks and Goten to take turns prodding his large belly, laugh as it popped back in place.

Gohan felt someone slip their fingers in his hand. Blue eyes gazed into his, smiling. Gohan staggered.

"Videl!"

"In the flesh."

"But-when did you-?"

Videl pointed over her shoulder. Gohan spotted a large yellow aircraft with the Capsulecorp insignia on the side. Bulma was waving for her son in the pilot seat. Gohan exhaled. Of course. Bulma always loved to appear in the end of an intense battle.

Marin tugged her father's pants. "Papa, I'm hungry."

Krillin bent his knees and pat his daughter's head. "Of course, sweet. How about we go for ice-cream?" Marin cheered. 18 flicked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled. Such a happy family moment. Speaking of family.

Gohan held Videl's hands. His mouth felt uncomfortably dry. "So, does this mean we're together? As, you know, a couple?"

Videl kissed him. It was so sudden he went limp. He could feel his mind spiral as Videl wrapped her arms around his waist. As soon as it started, she broke the kiss. "Of course!"

Gohan still felt fuzzy. He smiled a goofy smile, not unlike his dad.

While Videl embraced Goten in a hug, closely followed by a clutching Chi-Chi, Gohan turned to his father. He felt the smile slip from his lips. Absolute horror rooted him on the spot.

Red eyes.

Unblinking red eyes.

A small pink head leered at him behind Goku's back. Goku didn't seem to notice; he was watching Buu bounce Bee, the small puppy, happily on his large round stomach.

Gohan closed his eyes. He opened them. The creature smiled, revealing sharp pointed white teeth. The festivities and cheery emotions felt wrong. No one was aware of the creature directly behind Goku, no one but Gohan noticed a small tentacle with a bulb in the end slighter in view. slowly wrap itself around Goku's neck.

Gohan dove.

Buu smiled. It tightened its hold over Goku's throat. Gohan bucked his hand forward. Buu's face disappeared in a flash of yellow light and splatter of goo. The chatter died down. The sudden blast caught their attention.

Goku fell to his knees.

Chi-Chi- screamed.

Goku gripped his throat and uttered a strangled cry. Gohan was horrified to find the severed tentacle was still choking his father. He reached down and pulled forcefully. It was like trying to pull sticky taffy; the pink appendage stretched and twisted without any signs of releasing his father. While Gohan struggled, Goku's face steadily turned blue.

_This can't be happening_. Gohan's mind shouted._ Buu's supposed to be dead!_

A scream pieced Gohan's ears.

He looked over his shoulder. Buu, fully healed, was dangling a body with a torn red shirt and khaki pants in full view.

_Krillin!_

Blood welled on the short man's forehead and dipped through a ragged hole on his chest Buu's small hand held onto his rib cage. Surprisingly, Krillin was still alive. He was attempting to push Buu away. The creature simply giggled and shook him like some grotesque puppet.

Marin was sobbing uncontrollably in 18's arms, begging her to save Papa; 18 looked torn from protecting her daughter and saving her husband. The others tried to get close. Buu flew further back. The sudden movement made Krillin gurgle a pained wail.

18 screamed furiously, her face a mask of hatred. Without looking the blond-haired Cyborg pushed her daughter in Chi-chi's arms. "Keep her safe!" she shouted. Chi-Chi tried to call her back, but 18 already tore in the sky, her fists clenched. Marin was still crying.

Chi-chi held her close to her breast and ran to the Hovercraft. Dende was shouting for the non-fighters to get to Bulma's ship and leave. Buu would not spare the innocent.

The rest of the Z fighters plus the fat Buu surrounded the Creature warily.

Buu never stopped smiling.

They didn't stand a chance. Gohan knew they could only hold off the creature while the others escaped. Only he could help them. But-

"Dad!" Gohan shouted, turning back to his father. He could feel his heart hammer painfully in his chest, a mix of anger and fear. Goku's eyes were red and tears stained his cheeks. "Dad, become a Super Saiyan!" Gohan ordered. The transformation may be enough to temporarily overwhelm the assault.

Goku didn't seem to hear him. His tongue lolled, spittle ran don his chin. Gohan felt himself panicking; his hands would not stop shaking. Rosy light engulfed them temporarily; a thud and a shout. Gohan ignored it. He was going to have to destroy the pink appendage. Even if Goku was grievously injured, they had Dende to heal him, Gohan reasoned.

He grabbed the pink appendage carefully. It was like clutching a wriggling slug. Gohan narrowed his eyes and, carefully, shot a concentrated ki into the tentacle. The pink appendage exploded. Goo splattered his face and clothes.

Goku inhaled, he coughed. Gohan felt relief wash over him. Goku's throat was red, his chin bled. But he was going to be okay. Thank Kami. Gohan turned his attention to the goo. They were already wriggling.

He attentively shot precise ki beams to each wriggling mass. He was not going to let a damn piece escape his watch. With the job done, he flared his ki to extreme levels, to destroy the wriggling goo on his own body.

"Gohan," Goku coughed.

Gohan switched his attention to Buu. A newly formed Super Saiyan three Gotenks, the fusion of Trunks and Goten; Tien; 18 and Vegeta were the only Warriors standing. Good Buu was no where to be found. Piccolo was on the ground, his right arm and leg ripped from their sockets. He was visibly straining to heal himself. Dende was bent over an unmoving Krillin, trying to heal him. The Hovercraft was nowhere in sight; his mother and the others escaped.

Gohan tore in the sky, blood roared in his ears. He was so angry he saw red. Buu didn't notice him. The creature charged Tien first. Gohan shouted angrily; he wasn't going to make it!

Buu punched through the unsuspecting Warrior.

And Tien vanished.

Gohan exhaled the breathe he held. Tien had used the Multi-form technique. As the name implied, it was an ability that allowed the user to multiply their body for the sacrifice of halving their power between each clone.

Buu tilted its head curiously. It looked visibly surprised. Good.

18 screamed angrily. Buu and Gohan looked up distractedly; she drove her knee directly in the Creature's face. The creature's face flattened; it visibly recoiled. 18 flipped forward and twisted her body, delivering a vigorous back-kick to the creature's waist.

It was like punching an overgrown punching bag. Buu absorbed every attack without the slightest hint of lethargy. 18 didn't seem to care; her face was pure fury and tears. Buu leaped above her head. The damn creature didn't stop laughing.

Gohan's fist connected with Buu's small back. It felt like punching through thick milk. His fist dove completely through Buu's body. The creature giggled.

"Stop laughing!" Gohan roared. He punched, kicked, even blasted. It was like trying to hit water. Buu'd reform each time.

"Idiot, you have to use your chi to harm it!" Vegeta shouted.

Buu backed away. Gohan let it. He was charging a blast, more then strong enough to destroy every atom in this creature's body.

Buu knew. It stared, its lips a thin line.

It smiled. Without a word, the creature slapped its hands together.

And multiplied.

Gohan blinked.

The two Buu's smiled back. They contracted. Four Buu's took their place.

Each identical. Each with the same power as the last. Gohan bucked his arms.

The Buu on the left screamed. It disappeared in a blinding flash of light.

Gohan turned his attention to the others Buu's. Twenty stared at him menacingly.

"I... I don't understand," Tien whispered. His arms dropped. His hands wouldn't stop shaking; he clenched his fists. "Multi-form splits your power. But this creature didn't lose a drop."

Goku hovered beside Gohan, already in his Super Saiyan state. "Buu doesn't run out of energy," he explained. "It doesn't lose stamina. It has limitless power. It didn't know how to replicate properly; Multi-form fixed that."

Gohan gritted his teeth. They never stood a chance.

In less then a minute, hundreds of Buu's lined the sky, each as powerful and deadly as the last. Gohan felt their chances of victory slip so far from his reach he couldn't even see it over the multitudes of Buu's that lined the sky. Most of the numbers lost interest with the Z fighters. They flew to other parts of the planet. Some disappeared entirely.

It was over before it even started. The Buu's were already having a tug-of-war with Tien, stretching his limbs to their limit, heedless of his screams. Another of the Buu's straddled his chest, digging its arms in his open chest and flinging aside organs.

Gotenks concentrated on distance with a combination of a ki shield and berserk blasts. The Buu's used numbers to overwhelm his vision and exhaust his energies. 18 and Goku were no where to be found.

Dad!" Gohan weaved between three's Buu's, careful not to let them so much as touch him if they decided to absorb him. They didn't show the slightest fatigue. "Dad! Where are you?" He couldn't see anything past the hundreds of pink masses.

Gohan desperately flared his Ki and tore through the army, shooting, punching, kicking everything with a face. He was getting tired.

There!

Goku was with Vegeta. They were back to back, holding off the army with ki blasts. Without warning Goku grabbed Vegeta's arm and placed his fingers to his forehead. Gohan gaped.

"No... Dad!"

One of the Buu's leaned its tentacle forward and sprouted a pink wave of energy. The wave engulfed Vegeta and Goku. Their outlines changed, morphed and contrasted into small four-legged creatures. Before Gohan could get a good look they vanished.

Gohan felt his mind reel.

His father left them. Goku left them to defend against this onslaught of Buu's...

Something punched Gohan's back. Another kicked his face. He focused entirely on dodging, he had no time to counter attack Gohan blinked sweat and blood; he couldn't see through their ranks, couldn't feel their life force. Was he the only survivor?

Pink light engulfed his vision.

No!

Gohan screamed, he shot ups paws forward and expanded a ki shield. The Buu's were caught off guard. They bounced away from the force field. They circled the trapped Saiyan slowly. Gohan looked from one leering face to the other quickly. His chest wouldn't stop panting.

Every Buu he saw clutched a torn piece of clothing, or a bloody limb. Others munched something crunchy in their mouths. Half of them raised their arms.

Gohan tensed.

Hundreds of beam blasts scored his shield. They thrummed his ears. Barrage after another rocked Gohan in his small protective shield. He could feel his muscles protest dangerously.

One of the Buu's waved for Gohan's attention. A tiny pink-prick of light glinted on the tip of its finger. Gohan's eyes widened.

Buu smiled.

It dropped the teeny light. Gohan tore through the Buu's. Eviscerating limbs, biting through necks, his eyes never leaving the small light.

The light touched the ground.

Gohan covered his face.

A tremendous explosion rocked him. His ears rung, fire engulfed his small shield, the heatwaves made him pant.

As quickly as it came. It was over.

It took longer for Gohan's vision to focus. Blackness stretched on all corners, No , Kami's lookout, clouds. Nothing but large chunks of rubble hurtled in space. Buu destroyed the planet.

"No... Father!" Gohan roared. "Mother! Piccolo... Goten."

Gohan slowly lowered his paws.

... paws?

Gohan dully gave himself a careful examination. Furry tail, black fur, long ears. Buu must have transformed him while Gohan was distracted. Gohan stretched out his senses.

He couldn't feel a single life-form. He huddled in his small ki shield. Buu destroyed the planet again. But this time no one survived. Except himself.

Gohan washed himself in his bewail. He slowly drifted in space. He gazed at the stars. They looked beautiful. If he'd die, he wouldn't mind watching the stars one last time.

One such Star winked at Gohan pleasantly. Pink enveloped the white star and winked out.

What?

More stars began to disappear. Each with a small pink explosion, then nothing.

No. No. No. That isn't fair!

Gohan yowled. "Stop it, Buu!" He shouted. "Stop doing this! Haven't my planet been enough?"

Of course the Buu's wouldn't answer. They didn't care. His pain only added entertainment for their sick games. Stars continued to disappear, the faint life he felt in other planets were the last to go. It was there the Buu's terrorized, slaughtered.

Gohan gritted his teeth. He was losing oxygen. Powering up would do no good; he'd hasten his death. But what else could he do, roll over and wait for death while the Buu's destroyed everything?

No. If he was going to die. He'd die fighting.

Gohan flared his ki. He allowed his anger to overwhelm him. It was harder to breathe, the ki shield flickered dangerously.

Someone was watching him. A tall purple male with long white hair. He wore a blue posh kai outfit beneath a red vested tunic. It was Kibito Kai, the God of Gods himself He had a morbid look on his majestic face.

"Kibito Kai!" Gohan lowered his aura slightly.

"Gohan, I don't have a lot of time," Kibito Kai said quickly. "Come with me, hurry!"

"What-"

"Buu's going to destroy the Universe!" He grabbed Gohan's paw. Gohan barely noticed.

One of the Buu's. It was here. It probably sensed Gohan's abrupt increase in power. It was rapidly closing in behind Kibito Kai.

"Behind you!" Gohan tore past the Kai and blasted the Buu to bits. Immediately five more took its place.

"Gohan, there's no time!" Kibito Kai grabbed Gohan and teleported. At the exact moment Buu wrapped a tentacle around the Kai's arm. Colors whirled past Gohan's vision. He felt the air squeeze out of his lungs.

Beside him, Buu and Kibito Kai were wrestling. Gohan couldn't move; he could only watch helplessly as they fought for dominance. Buu glanced at Gohan.

Kibito Kai released the Saiyan feline.

Gohan burst through clouds. The wind whistled in his ears. Gohan saw trees, mountains, valleys, rapidly closing in on his vision. He quickly righted himself and dropped carefully on dry ground.

The breeze played with his sticky pelt. Gohan was panting. He looked quickly around. He couldn't sense Buu. None of them were approaching this planet.

He looked up quickly. He waited, tensed. Sparks coarse through his fur. No Kibito Kai. No Buu. Nothing.

Gohan snapped. He pounded his paws. His aura signed the grass. He didn't know how to summon ki with this body, so he kept pounding his paws, curling stones. His breathe came out hoarse. His fur shed and blew with his shouts. He completely lost himself in his primal rage.

By the time Vegeta located the disturbance, Gohan was asleep in his crater, curled tight with his paw over his face.

* * *

**You don't know how long I've waited to post this chapter. It's finally done, now we see why Goku, Vegeta and Gohan are cats. Why they're stuck in the Warrior Universe. And why they believe Buu(or Buu's) might have survived. And there's still that vision Bluestar showed Goku about Vegeta that we have to cover too.  
**

**So many delightful events I still must show to you, my children! Some that I hope will leave you wanting more =D  
**


	15. Regrets

**Regret**

"Dawnfur, look!" Applefur gushed.

Dawnfur watched the kit blearily open his eyes. They gleamed sapphire, unfocused and tired. He stretched his jaws and yawned, shook his head and snuggled closer to his mother's fur. Tawnypelt and Dawnfur sighed contently.

Tawnypelt bent her arms to gaze closely into the kit's fur. "He's beautiful," she mewed.

The kit smelled like fresh fur and milk. The nursery was quiet with sleeping queens and suckling kits. Light slanted through the entrance and holes in the roof. Applefur was on edge about her lack of warrior training and fretted constantly if there were consequences for her kit through the "chi manipulation" ShadowClan had gone through with their bodies.

It was Vegeta who cutoff her worries. Manipulating energy within the body kept it strong, healthy, and produced lively young. it would make the kit stronger and more likely to survive, he had stated without hesitation. It was enough to purge Applefur's fears.

Tawnypelt privately wondered if Vegeta had kits of his own. He shed very little of his personal life. He's been here so long, he he still felt like a stranger to the she-cat.

"Did you name him?" Dawnfur asked.

Applefur shrugged and looked down. "I'm not sure."

"Will the father decide?" Tawnypelt mewed. Applefur never revealed who the father was, but Tawnypelt was pretty sure it was Redwillow. The mottled brown she-cat kept shooting glances in his direction whenever the subject arose.

Applefur shrugged.

A rumble shook the Nursery. The Queens looked up in alarm.

Tawnypelt lowered her head bashfully. "Erm, that's me," she muttered. Her stomach growled again.

"Has ShadowClan been starving?" Applefur mewed, her eyes twinkling.

Tawnypelt shook her head. "Goku's training."

"To fast yourself?"

"No, no. It's because of his training I'm so hungry." Tawnypelt explained how Goku had been pushing them to blast a large rock constantly, without rest, until they could do nothing but pop tiny sparks. Then the hunger came. So overwhelming Tawnypelt clutched her stomach with a paw.

Goku explained to the bewildered group that ki used the same fundamental energy that kept their body alive. Food consumption not only gave them energy to live but increased their energy reserves as well. He warned they would feel more famished the stronger they became at ki manipulation.

"And that's exactly what we'll be doing next lesson!" Goku beamed. "I think you're all strong enough to comfortably decrease your ki and metabolism. It'll not only save your energy, but your hunger pangs won't be frequent either."

After class Tawnypelt and her Clan-mates ran straight to Camp and emptied the Fresh-kill pile entirely. Blackstar was not amused. ShadowClan's appetite were like locusts; their own territory would not supplement them anymore, if this continued. It only strengthened the Leader's desire to take over the other Clans.

Goku warned the leader that as long as they learned to control their ki, they wouldn't have to take drastic measures. Tawnypelt knew he was against the idea of stealing from other Clans, but he made no move to stop Blackstar; he would only refuse if the Leader requested him to spy or battle the other Clans. Vegeta was a mystery.

Tawnypelt's mind drifted, to Goku quietly dropping live and healthy prey in RiverClan, a day after he saw their bony frames by the border, to Tawnypelt's accusations and Goku's honest answer without a trace of embarrassment or anger for the she-cat's prying.

For a cat who lost his entire family and who's only kin hated him, Tawnypelt thought Goku took life very calmly and selflessly. Perhaps he was tougher then she gave him credit for.

Goku paused in mid-flight. Harsh wind billowed through his fur. He had a bad scrape over one shoulder. Blood welled on his forehead. He shook the droplets before they reached his eyes.

_Too bad Gohan isn't here._

Working his body always helped Goku with his personal problems. Vegeta was a great partner to keep him in line, even if the other Cat had no idea.

He hovered steadily over an inactive volcano. Vegeta was directly ahead of him, visibly panting, his pupils dilated until only black shown in his eyes.

"You-you've gotten stronger, Kakarot," Vegeta breathed, his ears flat on his head.

"Oh, I suppose it's all the meat I eat," Goku replied breezily. He could feel the tension in the air.

"Very funny." Vegeta wiped a smear of blood off his cheek. He flared his ki.

Goku met his destination with a clash of claws. Sparks sputtered. Goku swished and flicked his claws without pause Vegeta came on the defensive; he weaved, ducked and hovered out of Goku's reach. He couldn't get through the taller cat's powerful offense.

The Saiyan feline pushed Vegeta. The small black tom staggered and righted himself. Goku didn't pursue; he looked like he was... inhaling?

Vegeta watched, stunned. What was he doing?

Goku kept a careful eye on his opponent. Vegeta was cautious, but he wouldn't be for long. He had to do this quick. He leaned forward, and spat an intense beam of white-hot ki. It was so hot Vegeta visibly recoiled.

The small black tom wasted no time bringing his claws down in a downward thrust. To Goku's completely surprise, he managed to slash the molten hot ki in half. The separate pieces of his breathe beams wriggled, fell, exploded with the appearance of mini twin dwarf stars.

Goku gaped. He could feel the rush of adrenaline leave him. His mouth burned, as if he'd just taken a bite of very hot chili Chi-Chi used to cook for dinner. That was a very condensed beam; the attack itself left Goku visibly drained. "That's impressive! I didn't know you had the strength to do that."

Vegeta, despite his exhaustion, smirked. He raised his paw: gleaming cobalt claws glinted; even from this distance Goku could feel the heat. "I've laced my claws with ki. They're much stronger and sharper. Probably enough to slice Katchin, if I tried."

Goku doubt it. Katchin was the hardest metal in their Universe. Not even the Z-sword could make a scratch on its surface. Even so, he was impressed with Vegeta's new technique.

"Dangerous in close combat, sharp enough to cut beam blasts, and it doesn't use a lot of power to keep it consistent. " Goku mewed, his voice betraying his awe. Vegeta may have just adopted one of the most useful abilities in battle their previous bodies couldn't have managed. "I'll bet you could slice anyone even a thousand times stronger then you with those claws!"

Vegeta welcomed the comment. Privately, he discovered the idea from Kurillin's Ki-Enzan, a razor sharp disk of pure energy that could slice through even the most durable foes. Although the human was very weak, he came up with a very useful technique.

Goku's face darkened. "But against Buu... I doubt it."

Vegeta struggled to hold his anger. They did not come here to lament what was gone. "Kakarot, if you honestly think this was all I invented, you must know little of my training."

"What are you-"

Vegeta was on him in an instant. He pounded Goku's chest; the black cat did not expect the sudden surprise attack. While he recovered Vegeta dug his Ki-claws in his back("Ow!" Goku screamed) and wrapped his legs around the larger tom's waist.

Goku twitched, the pain from the claws left him disabled. Vegeta could win this. He had one last chance. _Oh Kami, my mouth didn't recover from the last attack._

He curled his lip; heat and red light flooded his mouth. His throat burned, but Goku continued to inhale past his rapidly boiling chest as he inhaled.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. Without a word he opened his jaws. Teeth lined with high-powered lightning bolts met Goku's gaze. One of the stray bolts flicked his face and he flinched. The distraction ruined the attack.

He spat a disorganized beam blast at the same moment Vegeta bit deep into Goku's shoulder.

Goku screamed. "Vegeta, that hurts!" he whined. The rest of his words left his mouth. He felt his body twitched. Powerful shock-waves ran through his bloodstream. It was like a thousand needles piercing his flesh. The pain was too unbearable. Then settled to numbness.

Vegeta released him. Goku's body bounced on the volcano, slid until he lay at the scree. The small black tom watched his opponent's eyes dart frantically. "Paralyze bite. I just injected you with enough volts to leave your body numb for hours.

Vegeta leaned close to Goku's ear. "I win," he whispered.

Goku rolled his eyes. Vegeta snatched his tail with his teeth and carried the unmoving body back to ShadowClan.

***  
Tawnypelt watched Vegeta through narrowed eyes.

He lead a Group of cats through the Entrance. Olivenose's legs wobbled and collapsed. Redwillow slumped halfway in the Warriors Den. Tawnypelt tried not to remember she had lessons with Vegeta tomorrow. While Goku's lessons focused on ki abilities, his focused on physical lessons to make them stronger, faster and buff up their stamina.

She remembered her first lesson with the tom.

"You've been controlling you ki, that's dandy and all, but it's not all there is to become stronger," Vegeta had explained to the assembled group. "You also need to work your body the physical way."

He smiled thinly and Tawnypelt felt her heart drop. "Today, I'm going to strap these- "he held up a large tree stump, twice as wide as him, and half as tall. "-to your backs, and you're going to jog from here to the the Frog ponds and back."

Protestant groans and disbelief roared.

"Are you crazy?" Pinepaw had shrieked.

"Silence! Remember Kakarot's training! You've all been mastering ki control-the purpose is to pump more power in your bodies, do things you've never done before." He tossed the stump aside and marched between the cats. They craned their necks to keep him in sight. "But your bodies can not take the strain forever. You'll need to work on that, build up muscle and stamina to endure the power; or else die from the sudden strain." He shrugged, as if death was not a big deal.

"But work on this, and you can accomplish further then you've ever managed, now that you have mastered ki control to willfully give your body more power."

It was awkward going at first. Tawnypelt literally couldn't move under the strain of the log on her back tied with thick vine. Some of the Clan cats dropped dead on the ground from the sudden weight. Under Vegeta's careful instructions, the she-cat had focused, pumped energy into her body.

She received a shock when she found the log on her back weighed almost nothing. She felt as if she could spring around the lake three times. The jog to the Frog Ponds was simple at first, but after they made half the travel, Tawnypelt felt her legs tire, the log on her back felt uncomfortably heavy. She had depleted most of her energy, and increased her hunger by the time Class was over.

She had to admit, Vegeta's lesson were harsh, but they exhibited results. Even so, she did not fully warm up to the cat as she did Goku. Besides lessons, Vegeta rarely appeared in Camp except in intervals to speak with Goku or Blackstar.

Tawnypelt didn't mind; she only had to glance at the crack along ShadowClan camp as a reminder. Goku had given Vegeta a talking to, but the smaller cat had simply given him a look that told him to roll over and die before he silently flew away.

The she-cat lay her head in her paws. She watched Goku entertain the small kits. They were bouncing a tiny sphere of bright pinkish ki; Goku would float it out of their reach, sometimes bop it over their heads or return it to his paws, in which the kits would tackle him and he'd fall over. The Queens didn't worry; everyone in ShadowClan could sense energy. Goku's "silly ball" he liked to call it, couldn't even hurt a mouse.

Goku...

Tawnypelt didn't share with the other Clan cats Gohan's story about a monster that may or may not be alive. Blackstar kept it quiet, she presumed, to prevent panic. Day in and day out Tawnypelt saw her Clan mates flying from place to place, even outside ShadowClan entirely, to observe other woodland and spy on Clans from above.

But what if this Buu came?

StarClan will protect us, Tawnypelt thought firmly. Deep down she wished she could believe it.

She felt someone lick her head. Rowanclaw nuzzled her cheek. "You look tensed."

"I'm fine."

Tawnypelt settled next to her mate and watched Applefur lead her kit outside the Nursery to watch Goku dangle four silly ball's. He had a light brown coat with black marble coating. He clung close to his mother. Poor thing looked scared.

A commotion sounded from the Entrance.

Owlclaw came into view. He looked a mess. He huffed and dragged a dark heavy shape. Crowfrost and Smokefoot helped him push the bundle in the middle of Camp.

It was Pinepaw. She wasn't moving.

Ratscar yowled. He stood over apprentice's body, pressed his muzzle in her fur. He looked anguished, a far cry from the sneer that plastered his face. Tawnypelt felt numb. She staggered to her paws.

Blackstar and Russetfur leapt through the Leader's Den. "What happened?" she demanded.

"Foxes." Owlclaw huffed. "They came for us. But Pinepaw, she turned back. I tried to stop her, but she said she could handle it." He glared in Goku's direction. "She said Goku told her she could fight foxes on her own. She flew, but they got her. I scared them away with ki blasts. It was too much... I was too drained. If they came back, I wouldn't be here to return the... the body."

Russetfur glanced at Goku. Everyone was quiet, save for Ratscar's low mewls.

She was on Goku in a few strides.

"What have you done?" Russetfur shouted.

Goku's eyes were on Pinepaw's corpse. "I'm sorry." He addressed Russetfur sadly. "I had no idea she'd take my words literally; it was an accident."

"Accident?" Russetfur looked like she wanted to claw Goku's eyes. "How stupid can you be? You boasted you could sense life halfway through a Universe-but you couldn't see Pinepaw dying at the edge of a border?"

"I-nothing came up." Goku's eyes looked anguished as he gazed at Pinepaw's body.

"Because you were too busy acting like a stupid kit!"

"Russetfur," Blackstar meowed quietly. He looked troubled, but the large white tom raised his head as he meowed, "Goku did not mean for this to happen. Look, we're all exhausted. We'll talk about this later, for now we should be sharing tongues with Pinepaw-"

"No, Blackstar." The ginger she-cat rounded on the ShadowClan leader, her yellow eyes arrowed like burning suns. "I am sick and tired of you sticking up for them. Pinepaw has been killed. Some of our ShadowClan members keep waking up with wounds they never had the day before. And you heard what his son-" she jerked her head acidly in Goku's direction "-said. Something even more dangerous is right around the corner coming after them, and you want to put an entire Clan in more danger?"

Goku closed his eyes; Tawnypelt could not tell if he was paying attention or withdrawing from the conversation. Vegeta's face was expressionless. His ears flicked once when Russetfur mentioned the Clan-cats whom awoken with wounds.

Tawnypelt couldn't help but agree with Russetfur. They did learn a great deal from the rogues. But now it was time they leave. The way Gohan explained this Buu, it must truly be a monster. ShadowClan would be wiped out before they even had time to blink.

Blackstar narrowed his eyes. "Russetfur," he meowed quietly. "You are an invaluable deputy of ShadowClan. But if you keep this act going, I may rethink your position." Russetfur wanted to rip apart Blackstar's pelt when she saw him glance in Vegeta's direction.

She gritted her teeth. "You know what, fine," she spat. "I don't need this." She pounded to the exit tunnel with bared teeth and fluffed pelt. The Clan cats hurriedly parted. "I'm sick of this. I'm out." Without another word she slipped through the tunnels. She never returned.

* * *

**Russetfur is not a happy kitty. Thank you for the lovely comments. I thought it'd be good to show what kind of training Vegeta imposed on his students.  
**

**Critiques are warmly welcomed. **


	16. Seeds of Abolition

ShadowClan did not take Russetfur's leave well. She was a strong and noble cat. Whispers cropped between the cats, none about peace. Some thought Blackstar shouldn't have let her go. Others saw her as a liability; she never favored the idea of their complete reliance on ki.

Blackstar looked equally distraught. Not with Russetfur's absence, but the idea she'd spill to the other Clans secrets behind Ki manipulation. It'd cripple the advantage ShadowClan had over the others.

"We should send a group after her," Blackstar mewed.

Rowanclaw tried to intervene. "Blackstar, Russetfur's still a Warrior. She wouldn't dare do anything against our Clan. And remember, she used to be a Rogue. She knows how to survive on her own."

"If she wasn't in RiverClan," Blackstar glowered. None of them couldn't pretend. They could all feel Russetfur's presence in ShadowClan, like a squirrel among shrews.

Tawnypelt's ears rung. Hot anger welled within her. Blackstar didn't even care what happened to his ex-deputy! But Tawnypelt still cared. She tried to wait by the border for her old friend, but Russetfur never showed her face. She was keen to cut all ties with ShadowClan.

Tawnypelt angled her head absently. She shouldn't be worrying. Russetfur's a strong and noble cat. She could fee the she-cat thrum with energy in a sea of RiverClan cats. There was no disturbance. RiverClan accepted her.

"Idiot."

Tawnypelt wheeled around. Vegeta sat beside the Nursery, his eyes on Owlclaw. He possibly did not intend for others to hear his quiet remark.

"What was that?" Tawnypelt demanded.

"He is not a very smart cat."

"Watch what you say," Tawnypelt fired. "Owlclaw almost died protecting Pinepaw's body!"

Vegeta glanced at her expressionlessly. "You all need to pay attention."

Tawnypelt was about to argue further, but the tom disappeared. She fumed. Who did that foxdung think he was, talking about her friend like that?

Her mind drifted to Ratscar. He may not be the most charming cat, but he had feelings; he was most shocked of all when he saw what happened to his apprentice.

Speaking of Ratscar, Tawnypelt watched him him trudge slowly across the clearing. He barely noticed Applefur's kit skip through his legs, running away from a chasing mother. Vegeta popped in her mind.

She shook her head. Tawnypelt would not respect a cat who did not respect her Clan-mates, even if he was more powerful then StarClan.

[[[-]]]

A pack of Wolves shuffled through the cold summit. Their soft pads protected them from sinking into the cold slush. Their tongues lolled, their breathe creating plumes of frigid air. The pack leader caught a whiff of scent. Deer.

He tilted his head back and uttered a long low howl. The others followed.

Atop a precipice, a small black cat watched the wolves shuffle eagerly away.

Goku flicked his ears. He was not watching them, or even listening anymore. He could feel the wolves, as if his fur was brushing beside theirs step-for-step. Taste their movements, feel their snouts sniff urgently.

He could feel the deer, alert, ears strained. It hesitated. Goku's body almost thrummed with the deer's heart. He sensed a shift in the atmosphere. The deer was running.

The wolves immediately bounded after their fleeing prey.

Goku abandoned the chase scene. He switched his gaze to the half moon in the sky. It looked so beautiful. He never had a chance to properly enjoy the moon in his old planet. It was destroyed often enough, and for a very good reason.

Thousands of stars blanketed the sky, so many Goku could not count them all. He enjoyed the stories ShadowClan had of cats that inhabited these small twinkles of light, even if the stars are nothing but plasma held together by gravity.

Buu.

Goku could not ignore it. He knew Buu was out there. Somewhere. Whether in another dimension, or somewhere out there in the vastness of space, he would sense it. He had to, Buu's power was too great, it never tried to hide it before. But one thing worried Goku to no end.

If he and the others did not immediately destroy Buu before it can fully replicate, then this planet and the Universe were already dead. So how would they stance a chance against millions of Buu, in a Universe where magic does not exist? No matter how Goku looked at it, it seemed like this planet was nothing but a caged animal, waiting for the inevitable.

"Dad."

Goku whipped around. Gohan's lithe form descended quietly. The father forced a smile. "Hi, son. How did the search go for Dragonballs?"

Gohan's face said it all. "I didn't come for that."

"What do you want?"

"Teach me how to use Instant Transmission."

"Why?"

"There may be other beings in this Universe, Nameks that can help us."

"There isn't. I checked this entire Universe, son. This planet's the only rock with enough life for me to detect."

"Teach me anyway, I'll check for myself. The aliens are probably hiding their ki."

Goku blinked apologetically. "I can't, son."

"Why?" Gohan stormed.

Goku stretched. His tail stood straight up, he clawed the surface comfortingly. "Instant Transmission is not a simple technique. It took me nearly a year to learn it, and I'm usually a fast learner."

"Fine, I don't mind."

"And," Goku added. "I'm a cat."

"So?"

Goku examined his paw curiously. "I can't explain how, but ever since I've been in this body, it's been very hard to control it. There's been moments I've left other cats behind between teleportation. Or the ki I home in on is off, and I find myself miles away."

"We'll get through this," Gohan mewed impatiently.

Goku shook his head. "Gohan, you don't understand. You can only try this if you're with a flawless Master. Do you realize how dangerous this is? Most of my first tries found me lost in space from an error on my part. Half the time I almost died if the Yardrats weren't surveying my training!"

"So that's a no?"

"I'm sorry, Gohan."

Gohan's face darkened. Goku quickly hovered, the chilly air fluffing his pelt. "But Instant Transmission is the least of your worries. You need to train with this body."

"I'm already strong enough to-"

"No, you're not," Goku interrupted. "This body's different, your reflexes and fighting stances won't be the same. Vegeta and I had to create a brand new fighting style on top of what we've learned from ShadowClan to compensate for this. If you try and fight like a Saiyan, even I can beat you."

Gohan narrowed his eyes. "Is that a challenge?"

"No, it's a warning. Buu is the one we should be fighting, not each other." Gohan looked away. Goku placed a paw on his shoulder. "Gohan, I'm very sorry what I did. But I thought if I could teleport Vegeta and myself to Elder Kai, he could make us more Potara earrings. We wouldn't have survived if we stayed and fight."

Gohan flattened his ears. "I suppose your sudden transformation was the reason you came here?"

Goku nodded grimly.

"... alright, where should we train?"

Goku perked up instantly. "There's a desert about a couple thousand kilometers from here. Running's optional. Let's go!" Gohan barely saw Goku before he streaked off, just a blur in the snow. The young Saiyan Feline sighed and swiftly followed his father, another blur in the storm of snow.

[[[-]]]

The night air was stale. Darkness blanketed the sky. Vegeta walked quietly through a line of dead trees. Not even an owl disturbed the disturbing quiet. He could feel eyes follow his every movement. Ahead he spotted a tall cat with brown tabby markings.

The large cat bowed his head.

"Welcome to the Dark Forest. How is ShadowClan's new Deputy?"

Vegeta stepped fully out of the trees. "Why did you bring me here?"

The cat looked annoyed; he quickly masked it with polite interest. "My name is Hawkfrost," he mewed, even though Vegeta didn't ask for his name. "You have talents Dark Forest could use. Strong talents. We have much to learn."

Vegeta chuckled humorlessly. "You have some nerve coming to me for help after that stunt you pulled."

"Pardon?"

"I know it was Owlclaw who killed Pinepaw on your orders. There were no foxes."

"What gave you that idea?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "You did something." He gazed at the Dark Forest. This place was the reason he couldn't sense Pinepaw. ShadowClan's abilities must be mingling with the living world, distorting his senses. Once he picked up a particularly strong scent of a cat, felt someone watching him, but found nothing in the forest. He sensed a cluster of cats in a small clearing, yet empty meadow was all he could find.

Hawkfrost didn't look the least bit disturbed. This fact unsettled Vegeta. He came expecting retributions. Not this.

"Look, stay away from ShadowClan's dreams-in fact, don't even bother visiting any cat's dreams," Vegeta added. "If I find out you're preaching shitty nonsense about loyalty and death for a great life, I'll come back and kill all of you, understood?"

It was Hawkfrost's turn to chuckle. "How can you kill that which is already dead?"

"You don't know much about me, do you?"

"Of course I do." Hawkfrost circled the small black tom. "You've got strength, a passion for battle, and craving blood. I don't need to read minds to see it in your eyes, the way you walk. You deserve to rule these cats your own way."

"That is for them to decide."

"Yet you're deputy."

"To protect the Clan." _These weaklings need someone to teach them how to be stronger, _he thought absently.

"Protect?" Hawkfrost stopped in his tracks. "Vegeta, you don't have to hide your true feelings. We've all stepped out of line for the greater good. But if you don't follow my demands, I could have one of my followers tell the Clan about the she-cat you bed with.

"Tell me," he whispered. "How would they feel knowing a Twoleg slept with one of their own?"

Vegeta's cold eyes stared unblinkingly in Hawkfrost's. "The least of my worries. You truly don't know a thing about me."

"I can see in your mind Vegeta. You can't hide what we don't already know. The Dark Forest is aware of everything."

Vegeta's eyes glinted. "Alright, I'll take you up on that offer."

"What do you mean?"

"Read my mind again." He bowed his head. "Go on, this time I won't hide anything. Look in my innermost demons and enjoy it."

Hawkfrost narrowed his eyes. He speared through the small black tom's mind.

He saw Vegeta, in his small Twoleg child form with strange clothing. He was standing over the corpses of many odd looking creatures. In the child's arms was an infant, wailing at the top of its lungs. Snot and dirt crusted its face, its throat dry from sobbing. One of its arms was nothing but a bloody stump. Vegeta was chewing on tiny dislocated limb He continued to watch the screaming with alleviation.

A flash.

Vegeta stood over a large crater. It was on fire; bodies wriggled in the flames below him, roasting alive. Screams pierced the air as the women and children tried to climb the flat walls. Behind Vegeta lay the last defense against the shelter, twisted bodies and half-eaten warriors.

A flash.

Vegeta, as a teen with bangs over his hair. He was watching an arena composed of corpses. In the middle was a large featherless falcon with a squid face, chasing after a small family of lizard-like skeletons. He watched them trip and fall in a hallow he composed. Watched them impaled in the spikes while the squid-falcon feasted on their remains.

A flash.

Vegeta bowed before a horned creature seated on a round hovering ball. Behind him lay a decimated forest, the inhabitants slaughtered. He held up a small scaly animal. The horned creature smiled and accepted the present.

"My Lord, the entire planet's population is cleared and ready for profit," Vegeta said, sweeping a hand over the thousands of bodies caused by his hand.

"Excellent work, Vegeta," the horn creature praised, popping the animal in his mouth.

A flash.

Vegeta as an adult. He stood beside a tall bald male and another male with hair that reached behind his back. Together they blasted apart fungus and evaporated the chemicals that floated in the blue-green planet. Purple mist hung heavily in the air.

"Disgusting things," the tall bald man sniffed, holding one of the squirming fungi in his large hands. He squeezed and tossed it aside.

Vegeta stepped aside. He, too, held a piece of the organism. The fungi connected to a large imposing mushroom.

"Don't let their looks fool you. They're extremely intelligent, in their own way." He focused on the purple mist that nearly obscured his large companions. "They create these chemicals to communicate with their neighbors." He smiled thinly. The fungi in his hand immediately blazed to life.

The fire spread to the entire Mushroom. It wriggled and convulsed violently; Vegeta could almost feel its pain. A foul odor penetrated their nostrils, like a decayed corpse. Vegeta chuckled. "That's right, warn your friends. Let them taste the fear..."

The scene changed. By Vegeta's feet lay the bald man, his spine dislocated. He held up an arm weakly. Vegeta grasped it.

Nappa's pain-filled eyes momentarily lifted. He smiled gratefully.

Vegeta lifted his arm and blasted the man who looked to the smaller Saiyan like a brother in tiny pieces, his flesh littering the clearing.

He was now watching an old green creature, hugging a crying child in his arms. Around them lay the corpses of their species. Their once proud and peaceful village turned to rubble with smoke and fire that choked the air.

Movement shifted in fire, sadistic eyes gazed at the cowering family. Vegeta walked quietly through the sea of flames. In one hand he held a large orange ball with red stars. In his other a creature, so badly burnt it couldn't even be identified.

"Leave us alone!" The wrinkled old creature bellowed, turning the child's head away. "You have what you want, do you need to shed more blood?"

Vegeta threw the corpse in front of the family and incinerated them before the body touched the ground. He never stopped smiling.

Hawkfrost bounced back to reality. Vegeta slowly lifted his head. The large brown tom flexed his claws in the deep soil to steady his trembling paws. He felt it. The millions of creatures Vegeta slaughtered, the many female species he abused viciously before he lost interest and killed them, the children and infants who seemed to die in his mere presence. He was walking death itself.

Vegeta's cold eyes bore into him like claws. It took everything Hawkfrost had not to bolt. "Just one scratch. One peak in their dreams."

Vegeta disappeared.

Hawkfrost blinked. He turned around slowly and walked. When he was sure the small black tom would not return, he ran for his life.

[[[-]]]

"Hi Pinepaw."

Pinepaw grunted.

Goku glanced sideways and continued to stare at the waterfall. StarClan always seemed so shiny. Even at night the trees and water seemed to glow with their own life. Pinepaw's starry pelt didn't hide the depression the she-cat expressed. She stared vacantly at the brook. She barely noticed a starry fish leap and twist in front of her nose.

Goku placed a tail gently on her shoulder. She shrugged it away. "Pinepaw..."

"Why are you here?"

"Because I wanted to let you know Owlclaw's been banished. And to see how my pupil is brushing up on her training."

Pinepaw uttered a mirthless laugh. "Pupil? Why bother? I'm dead! There's no point in this stupid training, thanks for the foxdung Owlclaw!" She slashed the grass in fury. The meadow blazed in a fiery fire. Goku shot a look. The fire instantly vanished.

"Pinepaw, just because you're dead, you didn't think I've finished training you?"

Pinepaw lay on her side. "What's the point?" she muttered dully. "I can't protect my Clan from here."

"That's not true."

"I saw your son," Pinepaw mewed, ignoring his comment. "He's strong, but he lacks skill. It was like watching a grown kit walk for the first time."

Goku thought back to his training sessions with Gohan. His son was smart, but he just couldn't understand how to fight in this body. Twice Goku defeated him easily in combat, despite Gohan's massive power. He didn't know whether he got stronger since his training, or his son was plainly an awful fighter.

"Gohan used to be better then this," Goku mewed tiredly. "He's still... nursing old wounds."

Pinepaw didn't answer. Goku wondered how much the StarClan leaders told her of the impending doom this Universe held. Maybe nothing. Pinepaw didn't look the least bit worried. He wondered how long it took for dead cats to overcome depression. They have no fear of starvation, or predators here. Would that make her moods last longer?

"... what if we try the more advanced stuff?"

Pinepaw looked up quickly. "What?"

Goku nodded solemnly. "There's still a lot for me to teach you. You have a talent for learning this stuff quickly. I can see you're ready for this, now that you have the... requirements, to handle it."

Pinepaw flexed her claws tentatively. She tried and failed to look uninterested. "What is it?"

"The Kai-o-ken."

Pinepaw tilted her head. "And what requirements did I pass to learn this?"

"You'll see."

[[[-]]]

Time and Space are never consistent. They change, constantly. Goku and Vegeta teleported and arrived in a new planet earth in which magic was very flimsy; animals were intelligent, but by no means walking on two legs driving vehicles; and Time was distant from Space, enough for the Saiyan Feline to notice slight surface changes between his space travels.

Gohan teleported with Kibito Kai a few minutes after Goku and Vegeta left them. He arrived over half a year later.

And now, three weeks after Gohan's appearance, while Goku sat and talked with a dead Pinepaw, the rift opened once again.

The tear was miniscule. So small only the moths noticed an abrupt shift in the atmosphere. The stretch of air molecules shifted to allow this sudden tear in the fabric dimension space. From within this tear, a tiny drop of flushed water fell from the heavens.

Immediately the tear sealed, its presence disappeared. But the droplet remained.

It pattered softly on the moss and bounced. The journey was not easy. The droplet hung from an overhanging twig. mites and tiny creatures so small not even a Cat's sharp eyes could see them, walked among the droplet curiously.

The droplet suffocated and consumed them all. But they were too small. Too frail for its liking. It continued to waver weakly.

Antennas popped behind the twig. An ant surfaced, picking its feelers here and there, detecting chemicals for prey. The drop of pink slime attracted the insect. It pattered closely and wriggled its antennas over the tiny pink mesh. It could not identify if it was edible or not.

In the ant's hesitation, the droplet shot forward and clamped itself on the insect's head. The ant flinched and tried to run. Its legs would not move; the ant was stuck on pink slime that glued the insect in place. The pink substance dragged itself over the entire ant.

It was over in an instant.

The slime disappeared. The ant twitched its antennas. Its glassy eyes stared blankly in the darkness. The pink ant hesitated for a moment, then it pattered away. The chemicals the queen extracted to keep her army in line. The pink ant was a Worker. It picked up the ant trail and scrabbled after it.

Work.

Two pink ants walked through the trail.

Work.

A dozen pink ants.

Work.

At last they found the scent trail. Hundreds of pink ants rushed into line; filing, collecting food, dead leaves, killing prey for the queen.

* * *

**I've always seen Vegeta as the guy who did nearly every action that conflicted with taboo and evil while he worked for Frieza. Even as a kid, he slaughtered creatures without a second though. Combine that with hormones and age and I see a Teen Vegeta playing chess with body parts. o_e**

**Although, he looked sincere while he lay dying by Frieza's feet, so I figured he didn't even like what he did; maybe he buried his emotions so they wouldn't torment him. A brush with death can really make a person reflect on their life =o  
**

**There may be questions as to how Vegeta knew what Hawkfrost did. He is a very observant Feline. He noticed the wounds the Clan cats received, overheard conversations between Owlclaw and Ratscar about their training in their dreams. **

**When he saw Pinepaw's body, he noticed no scent of fox, Owlclaw looked tired, but his ki was not drained in the least. He put two and two together, and theorized these cats he could not see were the cause of it.**


	17. Primal Fury

**Primal Fury**

* * *

"How do you feel?"

"As if I ran around the lake five times..."

"Yeah, it can do that."

Goku stood over an exhausted Pinepaw. She couldn't get up even if she wanted. She felt her muscles scream in protest. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding, her vision swam dangerously and her stomach felt as empty as if Leaf-bare were here.

She could see why Goku never even mentioned this technique to the others. Most especially the living.

Kai-o-ken was forbidden technique for living creatures.

It increased a user's power and speed exponentially two-fold; Goku hinted one could multiply the ability after it's been mastered. She only managed a few tries, and already Pinepaw had such an experience. The power, the speed, the vivid red that blocked her vision yet sharpened her eyesight to a point she could see a small ant crawling on a leaf yards away; hear a drop of water fall on the other side of the forest; she even watched a hummingbird slowly beat its wings. It was an amazing experience!

The downside was the ability only lasted a heart beat. The other was that if the user misused it, it could potentially prove fatal. The user could be left physically exhausted, unable to move for hours. Even killed.

Goku personally considered the heart-beat more then enough time in his battles. Pinepaw thought this limitation was a big deal. Battles for her would last more then a heart-beat, minutes even.

She mentioned none of this to Goku. Despite her position, It made her feel slightly special knowing only she had full access to a forbidden technique that could make her powerful. She was already dead, so she filled the one requirement to use this; as a dead cat, she can't die again.

Pinepaw flinched. She didn't like to think about her death.

"You use the very energy to pump more blood into your heart," Goku had explained. "It works your body overtime, pumping more blood throughout your body. You've been learning to harness and manipulate ki, to withstand and embed this in your body to stabilize the pressure. But it can still take a toll you and, if tried improperly, it can kill you."

Pinepaw had gasped.

"But you're dead, you don't have to worry about that," Goku had mewed quickly, looking over her starry pelt. "You'll only feel extreme fatigue."

The Kai-o-ken was not the only technique Goku was teaching her. Pinepaw learned a plethora of amazing abilities. She knew she was no where close to achieving them, but it was worth the effort to understand the knowledge behind it.

Something plopped in front of her. Pinepaw snapped out of her reverie. It was a mouse.

"Thanks," she mumbled, tucking in.

Goku watched her chew her meal slowly. It even hurt to eat.

"I am really sorry what happened," Goku blurted. He looked distraught.

Pinepaw shrugged and winced. "I understand, Goku. I'm not worried. I'm dead, but... I can still be of use to my Clan, thanks to your training. And I can train some new pupils" She glanced around StarClan curiously. Her Starry ancestors(oh, wait, should Pinepaw still call them that, even though she's a part of them?) were not as powerful as Pinepaw had thought. If anything they were downright lazy furballs, almost like Kittypets!

"I cant wait to start teaching them about ki-there's no end to how far we can accomplish here!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with the idea of practice-battles.

Goku's eyes twinkled. "Yeah. Just don't overload them." He patted his apprentice's shoulder awkwardly; he was not yet used to fully using his tail for gestures. "You take care of yourself."

Pinepaw nodded, somber. "I'm going to miss you, Goku." Despite his childish behavior, Goku was in some way like a father figure to her. Pinepaw had grown up without parents in ShadowClan, awkward when she gazed at her companions bundled with their parents. Ratscar was good companion, but he was more of a mentor-status. Goku, somehow, filled the void in Pinepaw's family life.

She dipped her head respectfully.

Goku smiled and disappeared without a sound. His scent lingered for a moment before it, too, vanished.

[[[-]]]

"You what?"

"It's time to go," Goku said calmly. "It was fun, but Vegeta's right. We need to go. In fact, we should have left a while ago." He was hinting the training regimes he had promised Blackstar.

Blackstar was furious. He dug his claws in the grass to steady himself."But-but there's still so much-" he began to splutter.

Goku shook his head. "Russetfur's right. You don't need us anymore. All of you were right," Goku mewed, sweeping his eyes over the entire Clan. "We taught you to become stronger, but you already had the skills to survive. I do hope you do well with what we've taught you. It can save your lives"

Tawnypelt bowed her head slightly; she enjoyed the lessons Goku and Vegeta taught ShadowClan. Even if Vegeta had a temper, in a strange way he too seemed like family. Applefur looked horrified; she was glancing from Goku and Vegeta, as if hoping they'd stay. Ratscar stared quietly at the small black tom.

Blackstar held back his voice. Russetfur was a fine deputy, but.. they could still learn so much from Goku and Vegeta!

Goku tapped Vegeta's shoulder. "Come on." He walked to the entrance. Gohan was there, waiting patiently for his father and rival. He learned humility as a cat, although he still held a slight grudge against them for abandoning him in his dire need; Goku couldn't blame him.

He could feel all eyes on him but stared straight ahead. They'll be fine, he assured himself. He frowned. Gohan was staring over his shoulder; Vegeta didn't move. "Vegeta, come on. It's time to go," he called.

"No."

Tawnypelt looked up quickly. Goku's mouth was open. "What?"

"I'm not leaving, Kakarot."

Goku gaped. "But-but you told me you wanted to leave this place the entire time!"

"I know."

"You kept pushing to leave, that staying here was a bad idea!"

"I know," he repeated.

"Why do you want to stay now?"

Vegeta walked quietly to the Nursery. No one moved. They watched in morbid fascination as Vegeta stepped in front of Applefur.

The mottled she-cat lowered her eyes. "Vegeta-"

"It's alright."

Vegeta's voice was oddly gentle; a very rare experience. He rubbed pelts with her and turned to Goku. "I can't leave my family."

Tawnypelt never heard the Clan so quiet before. Even she couldn't believe it. She looked from Vegeta to Applefur and back.

Redwillow broke the silence.

"Well... this is a surprise."

"I can't believe you mated with this creature!" Olivenose spat. "He's a Twoleg!"

The Clan erupted in chaos, each shouting to be overheard. Spit and yowls shrieked indignant or baseless Codes. Blackstar tried to gather control. Vegeta nuzzled Applefur and together they disappeared in the Nursery, the better to keep the kit away from the Clan chaos. Gohan rolled his eyes and disappeared in the entrance; the noise was giving him a headache.

Goku still didn't move.

Finally Blackstar fired a black ki blast with white sparks in the sky. The Clan silenced itself.

The ShadowClan leader's gaze hardened. "Vegeta has made his decision," he said. "So you will not treat him like a rogue, or even a Twoleg, but a Clan-mate. Understood?"

Olivenose made a face as if Blackstar was telling her to cuddle with a fox. Others were not happy with this arrangement. They took advantage of Vegeta's training, but in the end none of them actually considered him a Clan cat. He was everything they despised and more.

Gohan reappeared. Goku gazed helplessly at his son. "Just one drama after another, hmm?"

Gohan looked away

[[[-]]]

"Kakarot, you didn't have to come."

Goku nudged his old friend. "This will be my last day here, Vegeta. And to a Gathering! I've never been to one of these before-have you?"

Vegeta shook his head. He and Goku usually slept during these events. Blackstar never deemed it important enough to let the other Clans know too much about their secrets. Frankly Vegeta had cared very little about Gatherings to bother.

"These cats are so skinny," Goku mewed loudly, gazing around with wide eyes. "It makes me feel fat." Vegeta grunted.

His eyes tracked Applefur. She was chatting with a group of WindClan cats. Her eyes found Vegeta; she smiled and hailed him over. Vegeta mumbled an inaudible excuse and left Goku's side.

The taller black tom couldn't help smiling for his friend. Vegeta finally got a family, he learned to move on!

Goku spotted Tawnypelt. She was next to a group of... RiverClan, was it? Yes, Goku could detect the smell of fish. He tried not to drool, inhaling their putrid yet oddly succulent scent.

Tawnypelt was trying to convince Russetfur to join ShadowClan, despite the glares the RiverClan cats shot her. The flame-colored she-cat shook her head stubbornly. Behind her her fellow Clan-mates cats nodded savagely.

"I'm sorry, Tawnypelt, but my place is here. No, listen," she mewed before Tawnypelt could speak. "I can't just waltz to ShadowClan after what I've done. Even if Goku and Vegeta," -she shot a look in Vegeta's direction- "left the Clan, I still couldn't leave RiverClan. I don't toss away loyalties so quickly."

The glare Russetfur gave Vegeta told Goku quite clearly she knew about the small family. The kit was taken care of by Dawnfur. She was one of the few cats that still cared for the kit and Applefur's well-being. The rest of the Clan treated Applefur as if she was something scrapped off the road.

More drama piled up, Goku thought sadly. Next to the kit's name.

Vegeta and Applefur debated constantly about it. Goku's personal favorites were Vegeta. Jr and Smallkit. Speaking of children...

Goku gazed outward, without his eyes. He could feel Gohan's slow deep breathing. The young Saiyan Feline had not taken the news well. He thought Vegeta was turning his back on Bulma and Trunks. Goku wished Gohan could see it from Vegeta's point-of-view.

Ever since they've been cats, the small black tom was moody and lonely for weeks. While Goku made friends, Vegeta hid in the recces of his mind. He missed his family terribly, but wallowing about it wouldn't help anyone. That was the idea Goku tried to enforce on his family and friends after Cell killed him: "move on, be happy, the dead are dead, all the crying in the world won't change it."

"This is the cat!" Applefur announced as Vegeta quietly appeared beside her. She was keen to try and find some acceptance from her rivaled Clan cats about their relationship. Except these cats wouldn't know of his true identity, Vegeta thought. This was a waste of time.

A pale light brown she-cat twitched her whiskers. "He's a stringy looking thing." She practically towered over him.

Vegeta grunted.

"Found him near a dumpster?" A black tom, Breezepelt, scoffed.

Applefur bared her teeth. "Watch it! He's really strong and very caring!"

_Please Applefur, don't_, Vegeta begged silently while the cats snickered. He didn't like the idea of being used as Applefur's personal display for others. Bulma tried it enough time for Vegeta to get the message.

"I have to-um-go now," he mewed quickly.

"Okay, Vegeta, lets share tongues before the meeting!" Applefur called.

"Sure..."

Vegeta found Goku listening to a RiverClan cat talk about a huge fish he caught. Goku looked bored, his eyes unfocused and mouth drooling. Fish stories did that. The meeting immediately took place as the Leaders called for quiet and began their usual speeches.

Goku peered up at the sky. "Wow! Look at it, Vegeta," he marveled. The full moon never looked this beautiful before. It was surrounded by hundreds upon hundreds of stars. All scattered around the big milky way. The stars stretched as far as the black tom could see.

"Yeah, big whoop." Vegeta gazed up at the silver disc briefly for a moment before turning his attention to the other cats, searching out Applefur. He could tell what Goku meant. While everyone in ShadowClan looked well fed and comfortable, everyone else from the other three Clans looked hungry and gaunt. He could see they were trying and failing to hide it.

"You'd think the others would be suspicious of us by now or something," Vegeta muttered. "What are the chances we come and ShadowClan's in the breeze? Honestly Kakarot, sometimes I wonder how smart these cats truly are."

Goku didn't answer.

Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows and turned back to his companion. Goku normally responded a comment. "Kakarot?"

Goku didn't appear to have heard him. He was still gazing up at the moon. Vegeta scowled. "Kakarot, what's gotten into you? Sure, we don't have a moon in our own planet anymore, but that doesn't mean you can gawk up at the thing like it's some-" he froze.

Something felt wrong.

Goku was giving off too much power. Vegeta could feel it; pulsing in waves, each force struck him violently. The grass beneath Goku's paws began to sizzle and burn. His body was twitching, small convulsions shuddered through his body. His fur bristled and drool hung on his slack jaws.

He snarled, low and deep. Cats beside him backed away, surprised by this sudden hostility.

Vegeta was begging to worry. The energy Goku expelled was tremendous; even cats who couldn't sense power levels could feel something wrong in the air. It wasn't right. Almost as if the heat of the sun was bowling them in this chilly frigid air.

If anyone tried to touch Goku they'd burn their paw off. A leaf trickled from the tall oak. It instantly incinerated and disappeared before it touched his fur.

Vegeta was as surprised as the others. Since when did Kakarot openly show hostility to anyone that wasn't a threat? The Clan cats gave the two toms a wide berth, confused as to why this specific radius was getting hotter and dangerous.

"Vegeta?" Applefur called. The Gathering had gone unnaturally quiet.

"Stay back!" Vegeta shouted.

He was almost bowled over by a sudden power surge. He quickly surrounded himself and the others in an energy shield to counter his companion's powerful outbursts. It was lethal stuff that could kill.

He glanced up at the Tall Oak, gazed into Blackstar's eyes. The large tom got the message.

"We have to go," Blackstar shouted. "Mistystar, Firestar, Onestar, take your Clans and get out of here!"

"Blackstar, what's going on?" Onestar demanded.

The Clans began to shift their paws restlessly. ShadowClan began leading themselves out of the open area. Blackstar began arguing with the leaders.

"Kakarot, what are you, crazy?" Vegeta shouted angrily. His paws shook, the struggle to hold back Goku's thrumming power. "You could have warned me before you powered up!"

Goku snarled again, baring his fangs. He dug his claws into the earth. A sharp golden aura flew out of him. Despite Vegeta's shield the force struck everyone in the Gathering. Thankfully it wasn't strong enough to seriously injure the cats. But that didn't stop them from feeling the heat.

All eyes were on Goku's convulsing form.

"Let's go!" Firestar yowled, tearing his eyes away. "Blackstar's right, we're in danger!"

The Leaders began herding the rest of their Clans away from the Gathering.

Applefur looked back. "Vegeta-"

"Get out of here!" Vegeta shouted angrily. The Gathering erupted in chaos as the cats fled, the ground beneath their paws were too hot. Grass began to erupt in flames.

And all the while Goku never tore his gaze away from the moon.

"Kakarot!" Vegeta's meowed loudly. What was wrong with him? Goku was almost acting like a mindless beast. He didn't seem to hear the small black tom at all. His power kept rising tremendously, even higher than his super Saiyan state. Yet he still retained his base form without any subtle changes. Why? Why was Goku doing this when he knew-

Vegeta broke off and looked up at the sky again.

He was lucky. At just the right moment a thin layer of clouds covered the moon. But even that was enough for Vegeta to feel the overwhelming surge of raw anger and rampage that almost overtook him. Before he lost his mind he squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from the moon.

It was the moon. The Saiyan's attribute to transforming into an Oozaru: the giant ape!

Vegeta didn't understand. How were they infected by the full moon? They lost that ability long ago. But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was getting Kakarot out of here at once. Before he lost complete control.

Vegeta wrapped his paws around Kakarot's convulsing waist and burst away from the Gathering, trailing a thick vaporous trail, and steadily decreasing heat that wilted the flowers and shrubs to crisps.

Tawnypelt looked at her mate with wide fearful eyes.

"What's going on?"

[[[-]]]

Mountains and cities flashed in one mashed up blur. Vegeta burst over a mountain and soared higher, hoping to find a desolate place to set his old friend and try to work something out. He was well aware of the steadily increasing power he lugged. And he was scared.

It shouldn't matter, he decided. A Saiyan only received ten times the power as an Oozaru. Vegeta's first Super Saiyan State should be more than enough to deal with it no problem. Yet if that were the case, why was his power increasing dramatically? Vegeta wondered.

Goku shifted angrily. Vegeta tried to grip him tighter around the waist, found his paws couldn't wound around Kakarot's waist anymore. He was already twice his size. And still changing, along with his power.

Vegeta cursed and dropped Kakarot. He was scolding hot! He waved his paws and blew them. This was not possible! Kakarot already succeeded well past his second Super Saiyan state. And it still grew.

If only he knew Instant Transmission, Vegeta thought fiercely. This would have been a lot easier-!

Something like the force of a planet slammed behind the black tom's back. Vegeta felt his spine nearly snap. He plummeted through a maintain, tore through the other side and bounced violently down trail. He skidded on scree and rolled sluggishly against a tree. His body slumped painfully against the roots.

He groaned. His body ached. His paws were sore and his limbs felt wrong.

Stupid cat, he thought dully.

Vegeta slowly gathered himself. He weakly spat dirt and twigs. His pelt was ruffled with earth and blood; Vegeta shook himself, littering his body of debris. He brushed his tail over his sides and stretched. His back felt like it almost snapped in two. Vegeta winced. Kakarot was going to pay for that.

He gathered himself and slowly pushed himself off the ground, leveraged himself mid-air, and gathered accent, all the while his mind working furiously. How was it possible they could transform? It required a Saiyan tail to become an Oozaru. So how was it possible that Goku could...

Vegeta growled. He reached behind and grabbed his tail with his paw. Of course! Their tails! They didn't have their tails anymore as a Saiyan, but as cats, they grew another one! But he didn't think the transformation would work if they were cats. After all, they were not Saiyans anymore... at least, not physically.

Vegeta looked up, his tail forgotten.

Kakarot's Oozaru transformation, it also felt wrong.

Vegeta felt his mouth dry. He could feel it; Goku was still transforming. Cursing whatever Kami inhabited this Universe, Vegeta carefully flew over the mountain and gazed over the peak.

Kakarot was convulsing on a patch of shrubbery, almost in pain. The thick coat of brown hair and ape-like features Saiyans adopted was not present this this specimen. Goku's pelt was gold, as if he was becoming a super Saiyan. And his form was more saber tooth -like. Large jaws protruded from his mouth. His legs slowly grew outwards, thick with fur and muscles that bulged beneath bristle hairs.

Goku suddenly reared his head back and roared into the heavens above. It was so loud Vegeta felt his bones vibrate and his pelt shake. The force of the blast was like a tornado: Trees were uprooted, large patches of terrain were blasted away and the whole mountain shook like an earthquake.

"Kakarot!" Vegeta bellowed. "SHUT UP!"

Goku abruptly ceased.

The lingering roar echoed in the air, roiling over the mountains and shuddering through Vegeta's body. He slowly opened his eyes. To a Saiyan, Kakarot may look big. But as a cat Vegeta thought he looked enormous!

Goku had a thick layer of golden fur. Saber-tooth-like body coarse with muscles protruded his legs and back. His long tail, at least over half as long as his body, looked as deadly as the sharpest blade; with each thump it gored large trenches in the thick earth. His paws were so large that Vegeta could almost fit in the palm.

Vegeta slowly backed away.

Goku's teeth were sharpened and shone in the moon's light. His eyes were blood-red, so bright that Vegeta couldn't see the iris's. If he had, he'd known it would reveal nothing but primal rage.

And the power! Goku already had access to his Super Saiyan three Transformation, far superior to Vegeta's Second form. But this creature dwarfed Kakarot's third abilities in raw energy.

Vegeta knew he was not looking at the same innocent non-threatening Goku anymore. This one was vicious, blood-thirsty, and had its violent red eyes on the only power source that caught the creature's attention: a small black tom atop a mountain.

* * *

**My lovelies, you have no idea how long I've been dying to post this piece. And it's done, yay =D**


	18. The Apocalyptic

**The Apocalyptic **

The ground trembled. Wind tore through the trees in a violent hurricane. A large golden sabertooth tiger's very power shook the surrounding lands.

Vegeta did not intend for the benemoth to stay for long. He intended to cut the

Vegeta slipped beneath Kakarot between his legs the same moment the benemoth made a lunge for him. He sliced his claws at the tail above him.

The tail disappeared.

Again Vegeta felt as if someone nearly snapped his back in two as a collosal weight slammed him. He crumpled painfully on solid ground, dust smothering his vision. His body wanted to stay on the ground but his mind screamed to move.

Vegeta rolled out of the way of an oncoming collision. The tail smashed a paw-length beside him, toppling the Saiyan feline back. Vegeta's fur sparked like a fluttering candle, switching momentarily from gold to black. The Sayian feline gritted his teeth and concentrated until his fur shone gold again.

He blurred between Goku's vicious swipes. It was like a cat chasing a mouse. Vegeta soared higher and higher. Kakarot leaped. Vegeta dodged his large flailing paws and watched the creature thump loudly on the surface.

Kakarot uttered a frustrated roar, watching his prey climb until the clouds blocked him from view. Vegeta prompty turned his face away from the sky and the moon.

He released the breathe he'd been holding.

A trickle of blood obscured his left eye. He shook the blood away. "Damn beast," he muttered.

But at least Kakarot could not fly. That was a plus. Pain flared on his back. Vegeta hissed and nearly lost his balance. He righted himself and continued to float carefully above the clouds.

Vegeta sensed it before he saw it. A plume of hot purple light speared through the clouds far off to his right. The fluffy clouds parted and evaporated, leaving a large empty space for Vegeta to peer through.

He couldn't even see Kakarot from this altitude. But he could sense the beginnings of a mouth blast.

Yet Vegeta didn't have to do much. Kakarot apparently couldn't sense power levels in this state. He was just blasting the clouds and hoping he hit Vegeta. Although how he expected to know if he got the Saiyan Feline if Vegeta was obliterated in the blast made him see that Kakarot was too stupid to even think it over. The blasts stopped abruptly.

Vegeta allowed himself to relax and focus his thoughts.

Kakarot looked far different from the Oozaru state Vegeta familiarzed. His fur was gold. And he was much much stronger then his third form. But it was his speed that deeply troubled Vegeta. It didn't matter how powerful Kakarot was. As long as Vegeta cut off the tail, he'd return back to normal.

But Kakarot displayed speeds that paled to his own. Vegeta could justr barely dodge Kakarot's flailing paws. How could he get close enough to the tail? Kakarot's hearing should improve to the point he'd possibly hear the Saiyan feline crouching behind him.

Vegeta flinched. Kakarot's energy thrummed through him. It was like basking in sunlight too hot for his fur.

The Sabertooth Saiyan was tearing up mountains. Splitting lands, causing tidal waves. He was searching for creatures to kill. To purge his thirst for slaughter.

"Just like a toddler," Vegeta sighed.

He stiffened.

Kakarot's energy signature was narrowly closing in one billions of specific lifeforms. Large enough to house an entire population of people.

Vegeta tore through the skies. He could make out a tiny golden light trekking through an empty highway avenue. It was rapidly homing in on the outskirts of a large city. Kakarot dwarfed even the smallest buildings. But they wouldn't stop him.

Vegeta fired a wild blast behind Kakarot's back. It obliterated the large sign above Kakarot's head that marked the Route. Vegeta blinked. What was wrong with him? He shouldn't have missed.

Vegeta licked his lips. He was shaking. He was actually scared.

Kakarot leaped over the street and paused above a hill overlooking the city. Vegeta blinked rapidly. He was not used to this. Whenever he used the Oozaru form, it was he whom was used to instilling fear on others. He used to love it. It gave him deep satisfaction.

He could now appreciate how those alien life forms he slaughtered must feel. Powerless and defenseless against a creature that loomed over them in size and terror. It was a nightmare come to life that you hope was just a dream.

It was the screams that awoke Vegeta from his private worries. Smoke hung heavy in the air. Kakarot was setting the city on fire.

The large golden sabertooth tiger was blowing large torrents of fire in the city. The flames spread to other buidlings like a living serpent, consuming and incinirating everything in their path. Vegeta snapped. He charged into the Oozaru tiger, his claws sharpened and ready.

Kakarot wheeled around so fast Vegeta had no time to dodge. He batted the saiyan feline in mid-air. Vegeta bounced painfully through the highway and collided in the outer metal railing. Vegeta neary lost consciousness.

His chest felt wrong. His mouth struggled to suck air and his right paw felt broken. He twitched and uttered a faint cry.

A shadow loomed over him. Vegeta froze. The red eyes swallowed him in its gaze. His gold fur guttered until he lost his golden sheen. He hardly noticed. He watched blankly as Kakarot opened his jaws.

And disappear from his sight. Something twitched in the air.

Vegeta stared stupidly at the sky. It took him a few moments to register the lifeform. He slowly looked towards the hill. A black blur was zooming around Kakarot. The Golden Oozaru angrily swiped the air, narrowly missing the target. Gohan tackled Kakarot further away from the city.

Gohan saved him. Gohan was fighting Kakarot...

The searing heat the city gave off reminded him of his objective. He took a deep breathe and burst through the air. He hugged the broken paw close to his chest as he flew over the trailing flames. Kakarot managed to burn a quarter of the city. Fire ambulances lined the outer perimeter, desperately trying to quell the flames. Sirens blared and uniformed police were herding people away from the rapidly growing fire.

Vegeta focused gathering the necessary energy he'd need. His body was failing him, but the energy he required would not be a lot.

He paused abruptly in what he roughly estimated was the center of the flames and lowered himself. The fire encassed his small shield. He could still feel the heat pore into him, trying to get under his fur.

Vegeta promptly screamed a kiai. He expanded his shield like a colosal hurricane, extinguishing the fires in a swirl of gale. Buildings crumbled and cars were tosses through the wind like toys. Vegeta kept pouring his power into it and stopped only when he could smell and hear no more fires.

Vegeta's legs trembled. He collapsed on the smothering grass. He took deep breathes and slowly glided off the ground. There was not a shred of life he could sense in this part of the city. His sharp nose detected nothing but corpses. He pricked his ears to the sound of a siren. He floated higher. Beneath the towering rooftps bright yellow police tape bordered the outer perimeter of the ashen city. Large red trucks rumbled in the desolate part of the city to scrounge for survivors.

Vegeta slowly floated away. The people could do the rest. Piling bodies that is.

He could still sense Gohan and Kakarot's power pour into each other. It worried him. Why didn't Gohan cut the tail?

Was Kakarot too fast? Vegeta flew higher, careful to avoid the sight of the moon. He should have done this since the beginning. He blamed himself for losing his head. When was the last time he saw another Oozaru tower over him? The answer was never. He stood above even Nappa and Radditz in power, when they all transformed during a full moon to cause havoc in planets.

The moon was the central key to this.

Vegeta's claws glinted. He snatched his tail and cleanly sliced the tail off from the base. He hissed. Spittle flew between his teeth as the pain momentarily blocked his vision. Blood quickly dretched his rear.

Vegeta twisted his body to staunch the flow and promptly heated the base to cauterize the wound. He allowed the tail to fall. He wouldn't need it.

With that done Vegeta took a look at the moon. He could not feel the primal rage; he was safe.

"It's all your fault," Vegeta rasped. He raised his paws to the moon. The earth could survive on its own without the large chunk of rock. Bright blue sparks crackled beneath his pads. Explosions rocketed below. Gohan's power dimished slightly, but he was still fighting strong. A bright halo of yellow ligiht poured out of his pads.

Vegeta ducked against a massive golden paw the same moment he fired his blast. His mis-aimed attack soared in space, away from the moon.

Vegeta couldn't believe it. Gohan wasn't fighting Kakarot. In fact, Gohan was nowhere to be found.

In his place stood another large Sabertooth Oozaru, incinerating a forest with a breath of fire. Kakarot growled threateningly at Vegeta, alerting Gohan. Two pair of eyes watched Vegeta like a hungry mouse.

"No!" Vegeta screamed. "You will not have control over me!" He fired another ki blast at the moon as he spoke. Kakarot and Gohan tore into him in an instant in mid-air.

The last Vegeta witnessed was an explosion far off, before darkness enveloped him.

A soft breeze stirred the air. Tawnypelt shivered and glanced across camp. Applefur looked horrified. Everyone in ShadowClan with the ability to detect life signatures could feel it. If another Clan cat walked in on them, they'd wonder why was everyone standing so still.

It was Goku, that much Tawnypelt could tell. But he felt wrong. It was like something tainted that made her hackles rise. Gohan had it too. Vegeta was the only clean energy she could detect from the trio.

Yet Vegeta's felt like it was dying

[[[-]]]

Vegeta grinned through blood-stained teeth. He was not going to make it. He couldn't. Kakarot and Gohan were just too fast. Earlier he tried to shoot a blast at the moon. Kakarot had instantly slapped the beam away while Gohan attacked Vegeta. He barely had time to hide in some Kami-forsaken hole like a trapped animal before they got to him.

He could hear them out there, sniffing and pawing. Thumping and growling expectantly. He couldn't see anything in here. Only hear them, smell them, even feel their presence like a colossal weight ready to crush him. Vegeta shifted and stiffled a groan. Legs legs wouldn't move, Gohan broke them. His head was bleeding worse then ever.

As he lay there, half-dead and delirious, Vegeta's only regret was he wished he had more time with Applefur. Admit that she acted so much like his deceased mate: strong, loud, fiery, and bossy, very bossy. It was these traits that pulled his confusing feelings out of the gloom when he was most lonely. She was afraid of him like the others at first, but she was willing to cope with him.

But then again, if it was not for that damn dream, he probably would not have mustered the courage to speak to her in the first place.

Vegeta still remembered the vivid dream weeks ago. A gray cat with green eyes had spoken to him. She warned him of a path he must take. He would not receive help. He must do it alone, and his actions would decide the fate of others. Before she could speak further large red eyes loomed behind her. Vegeta remembered the look of horror on her face before the an enormous mouth of sharp teeth clamped over her and he awoke, fidgeting and tense.

At the time he tried to brush the dream away. But it stuck to his fur like it tar. He found himself training twice as hard, striking an awkward conversation with Applefur and flying through the planet in search of this large creature with red eyes.

Vegeta would not have realized the very monster he was going to approach with his own companion. He would have laughed if he knew it wouldn't alert the others.

Oh, let them come, he thought dully. It's not like it'll mean any difference to me in the end. He closed his eyes.

_Wake up!_

Vegeta sat up. He stiffled a groan. Wide green eyes peered at him in the dark.

_It's you... I must be crazy again,_ he thought.

Brightspirit's transparent form glowed softly in the dark cave._ Vegeta, you can't give up. The Clans need you!_

_What can I do?_ Vegeta muttered dully._ I'm nearly dead. I lost most of my power, and I'm facing two monsters that are too much for me to handle._

_But what about your kit? And Applefur?!_

Vegeta growled. _You think I don't know that? But I tried, I can't do it. _

_I think you're being a coward,_ Brightspirit pointed out venomously _We all make sacrifices. You gloated on about how you need to sacrifice more then the average Clan cat. Nows your chance to prove it and you're going to give up?_

_Shut up._

_No! The Warriors I know would keep trying until their last breathe. You're hiding like a coward._

_You shut up, _Vegeta gritted his teeth_. You're wrong, you insolent fool. I'm not afraid of anything! _

Brightspirit's eyes flashed._ Prove me wrong._

Vegeta pushed through Brightspirit. She disappeared immediately, but her scent lingered in the air.

He half-flew, half limped to the entrance. He was going to try again, or die trying. With a grunt the Feline saiyan shot through the entrance. Gohan and Kakarot were on him in an instant. Massive claws shred through half his body. It was so fast Vegeta didn't even see it. He lost his balance in the air, righted himself, and spat a mouth blast before a paw swatted him from the air. He fell before Kakarot's feet. Immediately the Sabertooth's tore into him.

Vegeta welcomed it. He already did what he had to do. They were too busy tearing into him to notice the small blue flash of light climb higher and higher to the stratosphere.

[[[-]]]

Applefur gasped.

Vegeta's lifeforce just dulled. Tawnypelt clung to those last dregs, willing herself to believe it was not possible despite her better judgement. Vegeta was dying.

Bright light enveloped the entire camp. Tawnypelt meowed at the unexpected brightness and shut her eyes. Was it the sun? Dear StarClan it was so sudden. As quickly as it came, the light faded. Tawnypelt blinked the spots away. She saw blurry shapes.

A cat wailed. "The moon! It's gone!"

Tawnypelt narrowed her eyes at the sky. She waited until her vision slowly cleared. She saw stars and silverpelt stretched in the sky. She looked carefully at the entire sky, her hear beating painfully on her chest. It was a clear night sky. But hte moon. It was gone.

Tawnypelt's legs gave away. Was this a sign of omen?

Her private fears lasted all throughout the night until she fell into a disturbing dream. She awoke to the sound of a cat's yowl. The she-cat burst through the den, falling with her other Clan-mates as they attempted to move outside at the same time. Goku was in the middle of the clearing, tail-less and haggard looking. Before him was a black bundle.

It was this bundle that Applefur huddled over, her shoulders shaking.

Tawnypelt looked carefully. It was Vegeta. She hardly recognized him. His body was twisted and ripped apart. She could barely recognize his face. She turned away.

The entire Clan was outside, drawn to the noises. They still had fur sticking up in places, but they hardly noticed as they gazed repulsively at the distorted body Applefur was cleaning. In the silence no one moved.

Tawnypelt could see it in their faces. They didn't want to go near him. Vegeta had been alienated among the Clan, no one didn't care enough to try and share tongues with this mutilated body. Tawnypelt guiltily turned away from Applefur. No one made any move towards Goku either. They remembered the awful energy the Saiyan Feline emitted last night. It was so chilling, like a fox staring through a hole at a helpless rabbit.

Compared to Goku's warm and comforting energy, it was as if Tawnypelt had felt an entirely different creature.

Applefur and Vegeta's small kit peaked his head out of the Nursery. "What is Applefur doing?" he asked in the silence. "What is that black thing?" Dawnfur hushed the kit and took him back inside.

"Goku." Tawnypelt whispered, the quiet breaking her nerve. "What happened out there?"

Goku didn't seem to hear her. He gazed sadly at Applefur's attempts to clean Vegeta's face.

"Who did this?"

Goku blinked and lowered his head.

Blackstar narrowed his eyes. "Goku?"

"... it was me."

The Clan immediately backed away from the Saiyan feline. Applefur looked up, her eyes filled with hatred. She was the only one who didn't move.

"Why would you do this?" Tawnypelt mewed, stunned. Goku, the innocent and gullible cat? It was too ridiculous that she found she didn't believe him. "What happened?"

"Our tails." Goku waved his stump of a tail to emphasize his point. "If we gaze at a full moon, we transform into hideous monsters. Vegeta died to protect this planet from us." He tilted his head back. "He had to destroy the moon to do it."

The moon. Tawnypelt felt her legs wobble. The very moon that symbolized peace and guidance for the Clans also triggered Goku's monsterous side? What did that mean? And Vegeta destroyed the moon. This was terrible. Littlecloud gazed at Goku with a horrified expression. The various Clan cats looked at the sky again, as if hoping the moon would reappear in the sunny sky.

Goku turned away. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused." Goku's eyes twinkled dully. "Trouble has a way of following us. You don't have to worry, I won't intrude on your lives anymore."

"Where will you go?" Tawnypelt asked before she could stop herself."

The black tom lowered his eyes. "Another place. Gohan learned how to scream open a dimension. We still have our own mission to complete. If we meet again... maybe under better times..."

Tawnypelt wanted to pursue him with the topic about what happened last night. She wanted real answers. But she didn't. Like the others she watched Goku silently look at each cat with a mixture of pride and remorse.

He disappeared.

Tawnypelt blinked at the spot. It was so sudden, without warning. She expected him to reappear any moment. He didn't.

The Clan cats milled about uncertaintly. Rowanclaw's voice snapped the air. "Let's go, we've still got mouths to feed!" he shouted. "Scorchfur, Shrewfoot, you two will lead the hunting patrol by ThunderClan's border. Don't fly when you arrive at the border. Tigerheart, I need a hunting patrol. You choose."

The Clan cats immediately got into their assignments, giving Applefur and Vegeta a wide berth. Tawnypelt was grateful for her mate's command. The Clan needed to keep themselves occupied and busy after hearing these dreadful news. She hoped ShadowClan can pull through without a moon. They survived so much before this.

* * *

**This took a while to type. And Baby nephew destroying my computer left me borrowing someone else's. But, it's here. And I hope you enjoyed it. Review and critiques are welcome. **

**And besides that, any idea what to name Vegeta and Applefur's kit? It can't be Vegetakit, the Clan wouldn't allow that. And it sounds too silly. Ideas would be nice. I'll choose the best name and put that in the next chapter.**


	19. Recreation

It was not a very good hunt.

Reedwhisker sniffed through the reedbeds half-heartedly. Beside him Mistyfoot fished out a small trout. Her pelt was damp and needed grooming. She barely bothered to keep herself clean these days. Reedwhisker doubt he looked any better. Ever since the moon's disapperance the water on the lake had risen much higher. RiverClan were forced to make camp on the summit of a hill, their old campgrounds completely submerged underwater.

There were no more trips to the island, with the tree under water. There was no way they could reach the tiny landmark.

Unless one could fly.

Reedwhisker sighed in defeat and sat on his rump. "I'm sick and tired of this!" he mewed to his companion.

Mistyfoot didn't reply.

"We don't even do real Warrior duties anymore!" Reedwhisker continued. "We just hunt while ShadowClan patrols and eats all our food! Why do we have to hunt when ShadowClan-"

"Shhh!" Mistyfoot hissed.

Ratscar prowled past them. He glanced at the small pile beside MIstyfoot. "That's it?"

"It hasn't been a very good day," Mistyfoot mewed, staring straight ahead.

The Brown tom sighed and picked up the few pieces of prey. "I don't understand why we need you, if this is the best RiverClan can do."

Hot fury welled through Reedwhisker. Without looking at him the she-cat slowly shook her head. Don't do it.

Reedwhisker still found it hard to believe how much the Clans have changed.

The battle against ShadowClan was short and brutal. They had attacked without warning, flying into Camp and blasting the surroudnings with explosive light. It was over before the battle properly started.

Blackstar shortly took over the other Clans in the same fasion. He made himself top ruler and enlisted each ShadowClan cat to rule a specific Clan. The previous leaders had been cast as Warriors again, and that was how Mistystar found herself tending to Warrior duties instead of her Clan. She was as enraged as the others, but she kept her cool.

"This is not a fight we can win," she had mewed to her dispirited Clan-mates. "For now."

Blackstar, meanwhile, had assembled every cat in WindClan to hear his speech. The wide plain was ample room for all four Clan to meet.

"The boundaries between the Clans are over!" he had bellowed. "The end of the moon is a sign that we must change. We need to work together, or perish under these difficult times. Fight together to overcome new obstacles, or fight each other. As long as you embrace ShadowClan, we'll welcome you like our own."

Blackstar's promise was as strong as thin water. He forbade the other Clan cats to learn the secret fighting moves that granted great power, unless it was agreed by a group vote upon him and his Captains, a new term to mark a ShadowClan cat that ruled over a Clan.

Reedwhisker glared at a cat sitting by the lapping waves, staring at nothing. She was the cause of this. If it wasn't for her, RiverClan may have stood a chance.

Russetfur tore her gaze away from the water and glanced his way. The black tom quickly looked down.

Russetfur was not stupid. She knew Reedwhisker was still angry. Most of RiverClan felt the same.

She felt Minnowtail before the RiverClan she-cat appeared. The dark gray she-cat was making her way to Mistyfoot and Reedwhisker. Russetfur flicked her tail to get her attention.

"Any trouble?" she mewed to the RiverClan she-cat.

Minnowtail shook her head. "The others don't suspect yet. But, Russetfur, I don't know about this..."

"You're a promising candidate for RiverClan's new path," Russetfur mewed sternly. "They'll come around." Minnowtail's undying loyalty to Blackstar was enough for Russetfur to mention her name to Blackstar as a new candidate under ShadowClan's new program: to train other Clan cats in ki training. Despite her new position, Minnowtail still felt some doubts about how her Clan mates would react to these news if they found out. To Russetfur it was not surprising she still cared deeply for them. They were family to her as ShadowClan was to Russetfur.

At the moment ki training was exclusive. No one was aware of the program's existence save the Captains. The cat who showed the most loyalty for their new leader was introduced to Blackstar, without realizing the true reasons. He would then test them, determine they were strong enough. If all went well, they'd return to RiverClan and go through the same duties as the rest of their Clan cats.

Personal ki training with their Captain.

Russetfur felt Minnowtail was the best choice. She hoped in time, after Blackstar shared his programs with everyone, they'd all warm up to him after they witness how strong their own Clan mates can become.

Out of the corner of her eye Reedwhisker watched them suspiciously. Russetfur stared until he looked away.

"Just remember, you're doing this for your Clan," she mewed, looking back at the nervous she-cat. "They may not like it, but they'll shape up. You're not alone in this."

Minnowtail nodded and returned to her Clan mates. Mistyfoot greeted her politely; Reedwhisker ignored her. It was best they saw them speak now, for Russetfur to show them she was not afraid to speak in front of others.

Russetfur's mood did not rise as she walked to RiverClan. Her ascension as leader was as much of a surprise to her as it was to RiverClan when Blackstar openly asked if she wanted to lead RiverClan in this new age.

Russetfur wanted to refuse, but she didn't. ShadowClan was her home again, she would accept the changes as they came, but she felt she still owed RiverClan for what they did. If she lead them, tried her best to be the leader for them she expected to be for ShadowClan, she hoped they would see it her way and accept Blackstar and create less inner conflict.

The results were not what she expected. Most of them outright spat she intended for this to happen the entire time. That she was a spy sent by Blackstar to infiltrate RiverClan and learn about their weaknesses. As much as she tried to tell them how useless this would have been, compared to ShadowClan's new strength, they didn't believe her.

Mistyfoot didn't trust her at all; she regarded her as a leader, and nothing more. The Elders openly cursed her everytime she passed their dens. The queens grabbed their kits when she glanced their way. Blackstar had taken a new policy for every Clan to give up their kits the minute they reaches six moons old to be trained by ShadowClan's elite Warriors. They expected Russetfur to take their kits, even if they were still far too young to be considered.

The whole fiasco exhausted Russetfur and made her angry. She was trying her best, but she was getting tired of it. There were few cats that tried to embrace this change, but it was not coming along as quickly as she hoped. The Captains from the other Clans were not doing so well either.

Crowfrost couldn't control the rambunctious WindClan. They fought her every step of the way. Owlclaw always found something wrong with ThunderClan. Everyone but ShadowClan somehow had something to eat. Their nests were always lined with fireants. Or the cats suddenly became mysteriously ill and couldn't afford to work. It tired the Captain to the point that he punished them physically. But still they continued.

So far one of the few RiverClan cat to embrace this change was Minnowtail. She thought this was a sign from StarClan that they should be together. Mothwing, a very odd and free-spirit talking cat, learned to move on. She was the only Medicine Cat who didn't appear to mind that they could not use the Moonpool anymore. Without the Moon, the Medicine Cats had been struggling to figure out how and when to use the Moonpool, or if it's even possible without the arcane powers of the Moon's presence.

It was very stressful for the Clans. They had no idea if StarClan could watch them anymore. It felt as suddenly as a mother walking away from her kits, telling them she won't be back. Russetfur had been dying to tell Blackstar she told him so, after she learned the truth what happened to the moon, but she held back. She didn't think she was in a position to mock the Supreme Leader of all four Clans.

Blackstar welcomed the changes. Without a moon, he had argued, it was a sign the Clans did not need the Gathering anymore. StarClan was telling them to move on now. But that was all he welcomed. The Clans themselves stressed him as it did everyone. The Captains continually complained to him every step of the way. Except ShadowClan.

And it was Minnowtail that Russetfur hoped to encourage the other RiverClan cats to see that they had no choice but to either follow ShadowClan's new rules or leave. Blackstar had ShadowClan on separate patrols around the lake to sense the life signs everywhere to keep in check of the Clan cats and if anyone needed assistance.

They were more numerous around RiverClan. Russetfur was not fooled. She knew Blackstar privately had these cats monitor her to make sure she was not doing anything discreet behind his back. They were wasting their time.

At the moment Russetfur was discussing with Mintfur and Grasspelt the best hunting spots. They listened respectfully. It was moments such as this they treated her like an actual leader. Russetfur would cast her senses throughout RiverClan, feel for the most life signs in a given area, and point it out for the Hunting Patrols. Plus she let them eat first before she allowed herself a nibble.

The patrol slipped past Mistyfoot, followed by Minnowtail. A quick scan located Reedwhisker in WindClan. Boundaries didn't exist anymore. Russetfur hid in her new Leader's den; long reed beds that blocked her view of the camp. She snuggled in her nest and did nothing for the next few hours except scan and locate the various cat around the lake. It was a personal game she made up to strengthen her senses.

Russetfur would try to find a specific cat and time herself to determine how quickly she could locate them. She was getting much better at differentiating the different life signs. It was almost like each cat had their own scent. Except instead of smelling them out, she was feeling it. Each brush of their spirit was different. Some softer or rougher then others.

She opened her eyes and sat up straight. There was something coming. It was thrumming with energy. It wasn't strength though. Was it fear? Yes, it was fear.

Russetfur slipped out of the den at the same moment a haggard-looking Pebblefoot bounded in camp.

"Help!" he called breathlessly to the surrounding cats. "Icewing! She's-she needs help!"

"Where?" Russetfur demanded. She didn't sense any disturbance.

"Way past the borders," Pebblefoot mewed. "We were-ah-hunting. And this bird attacked her!"

"Was it a Hawk?" Mistyfoot mewed urgently. She glanced at Reedwhisker and Beetlewhisker, two of the burliest and strongest cats for the job.

"I don't know! No, it wasn't a hawk. It was a lot smaller. After Icewing killed it, she carried it to me. But then it stuck to her face. And, and it began flapping its wings while she tried to pull it off. I ran. The bird looked at me and I lost control." He lowered his head.

Russetfur didn't notice. She couldn't find Icewing anywhere around the lake. She scanned further past her boundaries. A torrent of new life signs invaded her. She sifted through them and found the she-cat. Far far from RiverClan territory.

She focused on Pebblefoot briefly. So they were running away. Wordlessly she looked over Icewing's vital signs. She seemed fine. She didn't seem alert or in fear. Just... passive.

"Mistyfoot." The she-cat looked up. "Gather a patrol. Icewing's at the base of the mountains. The same that..." Russetfur's words died in her throat.

Pink bird? Stuck to Icewing's face? No, it couldn't be. She focused on the lost she-cat again. The description Pebblefoot mentioned. It was a while ago, but Russetfur could have sworn it sounded a lot like Buu. But Goku had told them Buu was shaped like a Twoleg.

Yet it was lost to Russetfur if a pink bird ever existed before.

"Mistyfoot, look after the Clan. You," she added when Ratscar bustled inside. "Track me. If anything happens, alert Blackstar immediately."

"What? Why?" he demanded sourly.

Russetfur quickly walked past him, muttering, "I think Buu finally showed itself."

* * *

**It has been a while since I typed properly. Let me know what you think of this chapter.**

**I decided Moonkit is a best name for Vegeta and Applefur's kit. Thanks for the suggestion fernunderblazingstar. It's fitting now that the moon's gone =o**

**Also: I'm looking for a beta reader. I really need an extra pair of eyes to view the chapters for me, tell me what they think, and changes they think I should make or if the chapter looks sloppy or needs editing. I've had a lot of trouble typing this chapter without someone else to critique it for me. So, if you'd like to apply to be my beta reader, pm me please. I'd appreciate it.**

**And a Happy Late Halloween!**


	20. Infection

Russetfur shifted nervously.

The sun was going down, it's warm receding. The hairs on the she-cat's pelts pricked uneasily as she stared at a dark figure half-buried in shadow beneath a tall rock situated against the edge of a cliff. Behind it stretched a wide open valley of Twolegplace.

The cat beneath the rock ignored the RiverClan leader. She looked down at Twolegplace, her tail flicked back and forth.

Russetfur cleared her throat.

"Icewing."

Icewing didn't turn around. Her body quivered oddly. Soft squelching met Russetfur's ears. She wanted to go over there, grab the she-cat by the scruff, and drag her back to RiverClan.

But she didn't. She couldn't explain why, but something in the she-cat made Russetfur keep her distance. It was the life signs. They felt... odd. As if Icewing was sick and Russetfur was afraid to catch whatever it was.

It surrounded this forest too. That sickened sense.

"Icewing," Russetfur mewed firmly. "Let's go."

The she-cat turned and trotted out of the shadows. Russetfur took a startled step back. Icewing's fur - it was gone. She was naked, nothing but shiny pink skin. Small black holes punctured behind her back and shoulders and lined her neck.

A small fin curved over her head between her ears. It bounced slightly as she walked. But was the eyes that horrified Russetfur. Red eyes surrounded by black. They regarded the russet she-cat blankly, head tilted to the side.

She even smelled wrong. It was Icewing's scent, but faint. A rubbery scent assailed her glands. It made her gag and move further away.

"Icewing, what happened to you?" Russetfur gasped.

Icewing blinked. She cracked a grin. "Russetfur, your eyes look like they're going to pop out of their sockets," she giggled.

"Your fur, it's gone!"

"Fur, fur!" Icewing chirped. A bird flew over their heads, twittering. Icewing snapped her head up and something long and red shot out of her mouth. It coiled around the startled bird and, its wings flapping furiously, fell into the she-cat's face.

But Icewing didn't eat it. Her face contorted, melted and pooled over the bird's body as it fell on her head. It gave a last squeak before her face completely smothered it. Russetfur didn't wait to find out what happened next.

She turned tail and flew as fast as she could. Behind her she could hear Icewing still muttering and giggling. She heard it everywhere.

Mumbles, groans, the sickness. It was not just Icewing. It was everywhere.

[-]

"Buu!" Russetfur shrieked.

She burst through the towering pines, crashing through branches and stopping just short from the clan ground. Pine needles rained in camp, sending cats tumbling to their dens in fright. Others stood together. their pelts bristled as the she-cat babbled incoherently.

Russetfur paused and blinked the stinging from her eyes. Damn needles. She rubbed her face on the ground before she looked up. Blackstar bounded out of his den, his towering figure alert.

"Russetfur," he growled. "What are you doing flailing like a kit?"

"Buu!" the she-cat gasped. "She's here. I mean - it's here. Icewing is Buu. It's there, right there -"

She walked to her leader. Blackstar backed away, his teeth bared.

"Stay away!"

Russetfur paused. She turned. The rest of her Clan-mates huddled in the shadows, their eyes gleaming. They were afraid. Of what?

"You all feel it too, don't you? it's Buu! It took Icewing!"

Silence greeted her words. No one moved. Frustration blossomed in her chest. Why aren't they saying anything?

"Why aren't you saying anything?" She spat.

One of the cats stepped forward. Olivenose. She looked horrified. "Your face..."

"My face?"

Russetfur placed a tail on her cheek. It came away sticky. Confused, she peered at a small puddle. She reared back quickly. She looked at Blackstar quickly before she gazed at her reflection again.

Her right eye was black with a red slit. Patches of her fur were missing on her face. Nothing but shiny pink skin.

[-]

This isn't right, Tawnypelt thought.

She watched Russetfur, hunched in the corner of the Warriors Den. No one came near her. Everytime they got close, she would lash out her paws and snarl. No one fought back. Everyone was afraid they'd catch whatever sickness Russetfur contracted.

Blackstar wanted her away, but she refused. She insisted she was fine, the whole time avoiding her reflection. They all called her a liar, but she refused to budge.

So ShadowClan were moving out. Blackstar would have ordered Russetfur's death but Littlecloud squashed that idea. They had no idea what kind of disease Russetfur had. What if it was airborne? Her death could make it spread farther.

The last image Tawnypelt saw was Russetfur's blank stare as she watched her own Clan leave her in the Clan.

They moved through the dark curling pines, their paws scrunching on pine cones and thin grass. Thin rays of light sliced through the treetops, illuminating parts of the dark path. Tawnypelt could see nothing but a multitude of pelts as they treked through their territory and into ThunderClan's.

They were much careful here. The brambles could snag their pelt. Blackstar immediately sent three cats to stay behind. Tawnypelt watched their lithe forms stay close to the border before the brambles blocked them from view. The she-cat didn't understand what was the point. They could sense Russetfur from the otherside of the lake, but she didn't say anything.

Tawnypelt only cast her senses behind her once, to find Russetfur didn't move from camp. She didn't bother after that. She quickened her pace to meet her kits. Dawnpelt and Tigerheart did not look any better. They had their heads bent low, tails brushing the flooring as they treked further and further from their home.

Tawnypelt nuzzled them each.

"Don't worry, ShadowClan will move on," she mewed.

"It's not that," Dawnpelt muttered. ""We're leaving one of our friends behind."

"We have no choice, Russetfur's infected."

"Are we going to attack?" Tigerheart demanded, looking up fiercely. "She said Buu's coming. Why are we running away?"

"Because we don't know how this Buu fights," Tawnypelt pointed out. "Running out there to meet a monster without a clue will not help us."

"But it's better then running away. We're ShadowClan, the strongest Clan in the forest. Goku and Vegeta trained us for this. We should use it!"

Tawnypelt pushed her face in front of her son's until their whiskers brushed. "Not now!" She spat. "Shut up and keep walking! I don't want to hear another word about fighting from you!"

Tigerheart glared at his mother. He trotted ahead. Tawnypelt felt her fur lie flat on her body. She didn't like that. But he needed to see this was not the best approach. She turned to her daughter. Dawnpelt stared straight ahead, her creamy fur shades by trees as they trekked closer to the heart of ThunderClan.

ThunderClan were more then surprised when ShadowClan burst in Camp. All except Owlclaw. He bowed his head and ordered ThunderClan to do the same, but Blackstar brushed it aside impatiently and gathered the Captain to his side.

Tawnypelt shifted her paws to her mate's side. She needed someone to talk to. She paused, her heart aching in disappointment as she watched Rowanclaw gathering a patrol to hunt.

She glanced around camp. Most of her Clan-mates were already making themselves at home, eating from the Fresh kill pile or making room in the apprentices den, much to ThunderClan's annoyance. Not that they could do anything about it.

Applefur pushed Moonkit gently through the nursery. Daisy backed away hurridly from the she-cat while Ferncloud dipped her head politely. ShadowClan had been surprised after the she-cat named her kit after the destroyed moon. Blackstar almost forbade it, until Applefur fiercely pointed out she was honoring the history by naming her kit after something sacred.

The rest of her Clan mates had agreed, although hesitantly. It was either that, or Vegetakit. Tawnypelt personally felt Moonkit was a better choice, but she knew he would be treated differently for his name. Whether with respect or scorn only time would tell.

But fretting over a name was the last thing on Tawnypelt's mind. Something else worried the she-cat. The other Clans. They have no idea what is happening.

"Someone should warn WindClan and RiverClan," she called as a hunting patrol brushed past her consisting of ThunderClan and ShadowClan. Dustpelt's nose wouldn't stop wrinkling, as if they all carried a foul odor.

"Good idea, Tawnypelt," Rowanclaw nodded. "Russetfur might try to slip through them. Tigerheart, you can fly. I want you to warn Crowfrost, and we'll need someone to watch RiverClan now now that Russetfur's absent..."

Tawnypelt blinked. She meant she wanted to warn the Clans about Buu, not Russetfur.

Blackstar walked in the middle of the clearing. "Who here can sense Icewing?" he called.

Tawnypelt raised her tail, as did three other cats.

"Good, I want you four to find her."

"What?!" shouted Redwillow, quickly lowering his tail. "Russetfur told us she's infected. Why would we do that?"

"You won't directly meet her," Blackstar mewed. "You're going to spy on her. Russetfur said she was not the only cat infected. I want you to observe, find out how dangerous Buu actually is, and if our Clans truly are in danger. Now go!"

Tawnypelt and the others looked at one another doubtfully. The she-cat was still hungry. She didn't get a chance to eat yet. But this was more important.

Redwillow shrugged, bunched his muscles and took off into the sky. The others followed him one by one. They broke through the trees in a setting sun. Wind tugged through Tawnypelt's fur. She narrowed her eyes against the orange and purple clouds that colored the sky. It was going to get dark soon.

They put on a burst of speed as they shot through the lake, homing in on Icewing's life signs.

[-]

"Dear, StarClan..."

Tawnypelt could not stop staring. Below them were hundreds of Twolegs, milling about the black roads or hollering to one another.

Except these Twolegs were pink with red eyes. They were chaotic. Some were smashing windows with wooden poles, fighting or screeching, their red eyes alight with malice. Others shuffled about with blank eyes, hardly noticing if anything bumped into them.

They shed their colorful pelts, walking about in the same light pink skin with black holes. They passed pink dogs, pink cats, and Tawnypelt even suspected pink birds. Although if they could fly without feathers she was not sure. But the thought was not comforting if they could still travel great distances.

Oddly, the great monsters were untouched. Although Tawnypelt caught sight of smashed monsters. Perhaps because they were immune the infection took their anger out on it.

Tawnypelt wanted to turn back and flee, but Redwillow raised his tail and the patrol descened atop the roof of a large square Twoleg Den beside the black pavement. They sniffed the air experimentally.

"Do you smell anything out of place?" Tawnypelt mewed quietly.

The others nodded.

"Their Twoleg smell's gone. There's a rubbery taste in the air. Much stronger then the Monster's round paws."

"And it smells fresh. But it's how they feel. Do you sense that?"

"Yes. They still feel like Twolegs, but at the same time they don't. It's as if they really are sick."

"Look!"

Tawnypelt followed Redwillow's gaze. There was a cat! He was hiding within the branches of a large tree across the black pavement from them. He was staring at them open-mouthed.

"Why isn't he infected?" Tawnypelt mewed, puzzled.

"Maybe it's contagious through bite," Ferretclaw suggested.

Redwillow looked at the hundreds of pink Twolegs milling about, then at the cat. He raised his tail. The loner mimicked his movement. It seemed to satisfy Redwillow.

"Wait here," he ordered the others. He flew quickly across the black pavement and into the tree. The other cat shrieked in alarm. Redwillow promptly silenced him with a slap of the tail. Many of the Twolegs milling below the tree glanced up.

Tawnypelt held her breath. Redwillow and the loner froze as the Twolegs scanned the tree. One of them twisted its neck. Further, further.

Tawnypelt's eyes widened. The neck was already twice as long as the body! And it kept rising!

What kind of creature was this? Is Buu a monster, or a sickness?

The Twoleg with the long neck suddenly screamed. Redwillow appeared out of the tree, clenching the loner tightly around the scruff with his teeth. The other Twolegs looked up sharply and uttered the same piercing scream.

Tawnypelt's teeth clattered. Her ears throbbed painfully as they continued to screech.

"Let's go!" Redwillow's screech was nearly muffled by the shrieks of the Twolegs. The others flew after him. Tawnypelt helped him balance the loner between them. He was shaking furiously, his claws scrabbling for a hold.

"Scratch me and I'll drop you," the she-cat warned.

"Who-who are you?" he gasped. "How are you doing this?"

"Long story," Redwillow muttered.

Ferretclaw's cream and gray form bobbed in front of Tawnypelt's view. He suddenly looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened.

"We've got company."

Tawnypelt couldn't move her head in case she dropped their new package. She instead scanned behind her. A sudden jolt shot through her spine. Her heart fell. "Oh no..."

Buu was following them. So close her body wouldn't stop trembling.

Ferretclaw swooped past them. "I'll distract them."

"Ferretclaw!" Tawnypelt called back.

But he disappeared from their viewpoint. The next thing Tawnypelt heard was screeches and small explosions as her Clan mate defended them against the Monster.

* * *

**I'm happy to tell all you readers the fanfic is almost finished. There's still a bit way to go. But the closing line between Buu vs the Clans is coming to an end. And I will sneak in one small spoiler: Goku and Gohan will not be appearing for the rest of the fanfic. The Clans are on their own. Goodie :3  
**


	21. Move they must

Rowanclaw walked back and forth in the clearing. He looked up, then resumed his pacing.

It wouldn't have mattered if he looked or not. Without the moon, it was very difficult to see anything at night. It was lucky enough they learned how to conjure light without straining themselves. They often used it during patrols or to scare away predators. But Ratscar squashed the idea that if Vegeta and Goku had never come in the first place, the moon would still be here. Rowanclaw couldn't find a decent argument against it, so he had kept quiet.

He was done with his duties. Everyone was either resting or huddled in groups, their whispers carried through the darkness from one ear to the next. This was the time the Clans should be asleep, but many were alert and nervous. ThunderClan moreso because of ShadowClan's uneasiness.

He had other worries. He couldn't sense the patrol anymore. Tawnypelt, Ferretclaw, Redwillow - it was as if they'd disappeared. He almost thought the worst, until he realized he couldn't sense anything beyond the borders either. What did this mean? Was something blocking his senses?

The others were having just as much difficulty. The could sense each other, but nothing further from the forest. Rowanclaw found it hard to believe Blackstar could sleep through this. Did nothing worry that cat?

"They're here!"

There was a clatter, a thud. A small blue light blazed in camp. Olivenose raised her tail higher, squinting at the two figures that landed in the middle of the clearing. The Clan cats shifted and fluffed their pelts, eyes gleaming. Rowanclaw's heart fell. There were only two cats.

Redwillow collapsed first, his body racked in coughs. The other was a stranger. A light brown tabby figure that trembled as he looked about himself.

"Redwillow, who is this?" Rowanclaw demanded, his heart thumping painfully against his chest. "Where are the others?"

Redwillow replied with a cough.

Owlclaw stepped past his Captain."Rowanclaw, let him rest first." The tom with the scar on his forehead helped the ginger warrior to his paws. "Come on, Warriors den with you."

"No! We need to know what happened!" Rowanclaw insisted.

The stranger stepped forward hesitantly. "I can tell you."

Rowanclaw's whiskers twitched. "Who are you?"

"M-my name is Alex."

Rowanclaw couldn't see his face properly. Olivenose was too far away with the light. He was going to ask her to come closer but decided against it. He raised his tail. The end sparked and a brilliant red hue appeared.

Those cats close to Rowanclaw recoiled from the sudden glare. Some disappeared in their dens. Alex visibly flinched.

Rowanclaw lowered his tail and the shadows lengthened. "What happened?"

"How are you doing this?" Alex whispered, his eyes on the ginger tom's long tail.

"That's not important. Just answer the question."

Alex hesitated. "These pink birds attacked us." He lowered himself to the ground. "One of your cats picked me off the tree in Twolegplace. I was stuck there for over days. Ever since the pink things attacked, I just ate what came my way from the tree. Squirrels, mice, other birds. If it was pink or had red eyes, I stayed away. Didn't trust it."

Rowanclaw's gaze faltered. "Where did these pink things come from?"

"I don't know. It was pink animals and Twolegs. They just started attacking the Twolegs in their homes, the cars, even each other. I thought it was next too.

"But after those took me away, I thought I was saved." Alex slowly clawed the dirt. "I should have known it wouldn't be that simple. One of the pink Twolegs saw us and began screaming." He shuddered and closed his eyes, the memories too painful.

"Go on," Rowanclaw urged.

"It was scary. Thousands of pink birds. They followed us. So one of the cats... flew... behind us to fight them. All those things - by himself. It didn't do any good. They kept coming long after they smothered him to death. They surrounded us. The tortoise-shell she-cat that held me let go and fought the things while he - " at this Alex nodded at the Warriors den where Owlclaw took Redwillow " - flew me to saftely.

"I don't know what happened to the other cat. Maybe killed like the others. Or absorbed. But believe me, I didn't want this to happen! Please don't kill me!" he pleaded.

Rowanclaw didn't answer. He hardly realized Alex finished speaking. The minute he mentioned Tawnypelt the tom could hardly breath.

Owlclaw stepped away from the Warriors den, where he had been crouching, listening quietly to Alex's story. "Those pink things are called Buu."

Alex blinked. "Buu?"

"A creature that can absorb and imitate other animals. I'm surprised you didn't become infected like our clan-mate!"

Alex jumped to his paws. "They're here?! Where?"

"Calm down!" Owlclaw mewed. "She won't be bothering us. But in the meantime, tell us everything you know about Buu. It could be important."

"Why bother?" Rowanclaw's voice was seethed in fury. "Goku told us what we needed to know. We should plan an attack now."

Owlclaw shot him a look. "Rowanclaw, I know what you're going through. You just lost your mate." Rowanclaw looked away. "But haven't you noticed this Buu is acting far different then the type Goku mentioned? He said it was shaped like a Twoleg, and it absorbed anything that it considered life-threatening. It's life goal was to cause chaos and play with its prey. But most of all, it was only one creature."

He waved his tail in Alex's direction. "This loner said Buu was in every living thing. Not all the Buu's were violent. Most were not even trying to find new prey. And none of them were shooting ki blasts. Is that correct?" He added, glancing Alex's way.

The loner narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Ki blasts. Bright pink light it generates form its body."

Alex shook his head slowly. "I haven't seen anything like that - except from you."

Owlclaw nodded. "See? This doesn't add up."

"Does it matter?" Rowanclaw snapped. "It's still Buu. We can still kill it the same way Goku did."

"But Goku never killed it."

All heads turned. Blackstar stepped into Rowanclaw's light, his white fur a sickened red. "Remember, it was because of Goku's mistake that Buu is alive."

Rowanclaw flexed his claws. "Then what should we do, Blackstar?"

Blackstar gazed tiredly at his Clan mates. "We rest for now."

"But Blackstar-!"

The tom lashed his tail. "Tomorrow! There's nothing we can do now. We should get some sleep. We'll be refreshed tomorrow to discuss this thoroughly. Until then I want patrols all night, shifted every time the moon - "

He broke off.

The Clan cats gazed solemnly back at him.

"... Rowanclaw, gather a patrol to stand guard. If any of you should feel exhausted, wake the other cat to take your place. I don't want any heroics or stubbornness. It could get us killed."

Without another word he shuffled heavily up the High Ledge to the Leader's den. And with it Rowanclaw's hope of revenge.

[-]

Blackstar gathered the Clans on WindClan grounds yet again. They grumbled and complained as they formed a half-circle around him and his ShadowClan Warriors. He should have prepared prey for them, to keep them in attention, but his thoughts had been elsewhere. Alex left ShadowClan the minute he was allowed to leave. He insisted staying here would not do him good until he put miles between himself and the creatures. Not that Blackstar wanted him in the first place.

He was indignant the tom would just go after the sacrifice his Warriors made to save him.

If it had not been for Redwillow's interruption, the ShadowClan leader would have attacked him on the spot. Instead he had watched with slitted eyes as the loner slid away until the trees hid him from view.

The ShadowClan leader sighed, faced the Clans, and got to the point.

"We must leave the lake."

He was met with protests.

"First the moon's gone, now this? I sense an omen," mumbled an elder.

"We can't leave our homes! We sacrificed so much!"

"I don't want a repeat of our land travels. It was horrible."

"Silence!" Blackstar yowled. "We have no choice! It's either leave, or stay and die."

The Clans regarded him quietly. Blackstar had been expecting more shouting. This doe-eyed behavior from the Clans unnerved him.

"Why would we die?" a ThunderClan tom demanded. "Is this a trick?"

"No, you don't understand. It's - "

But they wouldn't listen. Blackstar tried to council them, make them see reason, but the Clans wouldn't have it. They believed this was a ploy to take over the entire lake for ShadowClan. And they were willing to fight to the death for it.

He could see their pelts bristling, teeth bared. The last thing he wanted was war. If this was going to escalate into a fight, he may have to get rough. He looked to his Clan-mates for help. They were already poised for battle.

Not helping. Then a new voice rang out.

"I'd listen to him. If you don't, Buu will get you."

All heads turned. A ginger and pink she-cat trotted lightly down the hill that faced ThunderClan, muttering, "You can not believe how daunting this is. It's like my head's trying to split open." She paused beside the group and suddenly waved. "Hi Applefur! How's Moonkit?" she shouted.

The she-cat jumped and immediately hid the kit behind her, as if afraid the ex-Deputy would attack. Cats recoiled in disgust. Patches of Russetfur's pelt were missing in many places, and her red eye gleamed at them while her normal one looked calm and detached.

"What happened to her?"

"Is she sick?"

"Is it infectious?"

"Yes, it is," Russetfur mewed before Blackstar could speak. "But not yet. I can't." She looked over her shoulder at the lake. "They're telling me I have to wait until I fully turn, before I can infect you all."

"Who are you talking about?" Fireheart mewed.

She glanced back at the silent group. The pink part of her face wriggled. It stretched and a face formed. The face grinned at the disgusted cats.

Russetfur grinned at their expressions. It was not friendly. "Here. I can hear it all here," she tapped her temple with her tail. "It's like bees buzzing in my head... haha, I do have bees in my head." She frowned an ugly look. "It won't stop. The buzzings. Thousands of voices, screaming to be let out.

"Let me out!" A sickly pink and red light flared from her eyes and nouth. She fell and moaned, convulsing as the light darkened.

"What's wrong with her?" A WindClan she-cat shouted. "Someone help her!"

But no one came near her. Blackstar was as shocked as the others, watching until Russetfur lay breathing heavily on the ground.

"She is infected," whispered a ThunderClan cat as the she-cat got up shakily. "What kind of evil creature would do such a thing?"

Russetfur looked up, surprised. "Don't you get it? Buu's not the monster we all think. It's not evil, or good. It's just... here." She shook herself, winced when she tested her foreleg.

"Buu?"

Jayfeather stepped towards her.

"Get away from her!"

Leafpool pushed herself through the throng of cats and stood baring the way for the tom.

Jayfeather bared his teeth. "Move it."

Leafpool looked determined as her son began to bristle. "You are not going near her. Haven't you heard Blackstar?"

"Yes, it's my eyes that aren't working, not my ears," the tom retorted. "Russetfur said - "

"Oh, you're so naive, Jayfeather," Russetfur sighed. "How do you know I'm telling the truth?"

"I just know," Jayfeather mewed. "What are they saying? This Buu?"

"You believe?"

"I believed Blackstar before you showed up."

"... they are acting as they've always acted. They just want to absorb."

"Is that another term for eat us?" The Medicine cat mewed.

"Oh no, this is worse then death," Russetfur laughed. "When you're absorbed, you're not dead. Your mind and body become one with Buu. You lose who you are, what you were. You won't be in StarClan after you die, you'll forever be a part of Buu."

The Clan cats shuddered. Fear clouded their eyes as they followed Russetfur's gaze to the horizon beyond the lake. "Buu should be coming soon," she sang in a soft voice that carried through the quiet crowd.

[-]

Is there a cure for this?" Kestrelflight mewed as Russetfur stretched and curled herself away from the group, her interst with them done. "I've never heard of a disease like this before."

"As Russetfur told you, this is caused by a creature named Buu. And no, I don't think there is a cure." Blackstar took a deep breath. "You are all aware of our powers. What you did not realize was they were taught to us by Goku and Vegeta."

"We knew," Fireheart mewed, his eyes blazing. "It was not hard. Ever since those loners came, ShadowClan had been much stronger and healthier then ever. And as soon as they leave you take over."

Blackstar cleared his throat. "Yes. Well, Buu came from their Universe - another plane of reality. Do you understand?"

Blank stares.

The ShadowClan leader growled in frustration. How could he explain alternate universes to cats who does not even realize this piece of land is tiny compared to an entire planet?

Even Blackstar had trouble comprehending it as Goku explained it.

"Buu is from another place, beyond the stars," he mewed. "A place like our own, before this creature destroyed it. Goku and Vegeta left their old home and came here. They were guarding our planet since then in case the threat of Buu followed them."

"And it did, so it's their fault it's here now!"

"No! Well... yes, maybe. But it came after they left."

"And doesn't that bother you?" Someone shouted from RiverClan's end. "Buu comes out of hiding right after they leave. Sounds to me like it was here the entire time and waited until they left."

Blackstar's voice died in his throat. Could that be true?

"Either way, it's here now, so we must leave," Rowanclaw mewed after his leader hesitated.

Some of the Clan cats stubbornly looked away. Blackstar sighed.

"Whomever wants to stay, fine. But don't expect us to come back for you after Buu comes. I intend to save only those who want to be saved."

"How far do we have to go?"

"I don't know." Blackstar admitted. "But soon."

"It's all because of you we're in this mess in the first place!" screeched Onewhisker. "Why don't you go out there and face it like a true Warrior? You've got the power we don't!"

"Yeah, shouldn't we stay and fight?"

Blackstar shook his head. "Out of the question. Even I know we won't stand a chance against this monster. It's better if we just leave. Look, I know how you feel," he mewed as the Clans grumbled. "This is our home. It's been our home since our Forest was destroyed. But this is going to be a repeat of what happened last time.

"We can either stay until the threat's right here, or we can leave ahead of time and put as much distance as we can between it and us."

He raised himself to his full height. "You all have a choice to make. It's getting late. By Sunrise tomorrow we will leave. I warn you again, you can do what you want or leave on your own, but your chances are better if you stay with us. To ensure our Clans' survival. Good night."

The ShadowClan leader leaped down from the boulder and stretched himself before he lay on the ground.

With the meeting done, the rest of the cats milled about. Then Fireheart, Mistyfoot and Onewhisker raised their tails, and their Clan-mates respectfully followed them away from ShadowClan's group.

[-]

The sun rose steadily over the rolling hills. Small flowers dotted the empty fields. A swam of pelts trotted as one through WindClan's fields, passing by a farm owned by a couple. One of the cats looked yearnly at the barn with its creaking door before she took a deep breath and looked forward again.

The gesture was lost to Blackstar as he floated above the cats. He glanced back at the lake before he turned his back on it and soared ahead of the group. Some of the Warriors stayed behind. Millie and Briarlight of ThunderClan, along with the cat Graystripe. The Elders of RiverClan and a few Warriosr from WindClan stayed as well.

Blackstar wished them luck, but he doubt they'd make it.

Russetfur, meanwhile, had ignored them completely as the Clans left. The last Blackstar saw of her, she had been talking to the sky and shaking her head. May StarClan light her path where she's going.

He saw many reluctant faces in his Clan-mates as they yet again left Russetfur to her doom. Blackstar would have ordered a Warriors death to the mental torture the she-cat must be going through. But he couldn't take that chance.

The ShadowClan leader descended upon the top of the hill and looked back as the group slowly plodded after him. Rowanclaw was already here, looking out over the expanse of trees and streams.

"Gather a patrol to circle the group every now and then," Blackstar mewed. "In case a creature of Buu appears."

Rowanclaw snorted. "What for? We can sense them. There's no need."

"We didn't sense Russetfur," Blackstar pointed out. It as one of the reasons he was so shocked during her speech. The she-cat just appeared, without any warning. Goku explained the technique to hide their own life signs, but so far no one had mastered it yet.

So how could Russetfur do it? Unless Buu naturally had the ability to mask its own life signs. That seriously put them at a disadvantage. Buu could trail them and they wouldn't even know it.

Rowanclaw nodded moodily and soared back to the group. Blackstar sighed, staring after him.

Onewhisker made it clear he was only following them because Jayfeather convinced the other Clans ShadowClan may be their best protector. But they all still voiced the same doubts Blackstar felt. Sooner or later, they would have to face the threat. And then what?

[-]

"Don't worry, little one. Everything will be fine," Applefur soothed.

Moonkit snuggled closer to his mother. "But Ratscar said - "

"Ratscar's scared," Applefur interrupted. "I'm scared too. But I know we'll make it. So don't you fret."

They were laying beside Owlclaw. He snored and flicked his paws. The she-cat was amazed he could sleep. Despite her words, the she-cat was stressed. She was exhausted. The patrols brought back prey, but it was only so much. Her stomach rumbled. She could hardly sleep, and she knew her kit couldn't rest because he could smell the tension in his mother.

She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Do you want to hear the story about your father again?" she mewed.

Moonkit nodded eagerly and leaned forward.

So Applefur told him.

The next day the she-cat padded with the other cats. She chattered with a queen from RiverClan, their kits bouncing ahead and playing. The Clans had been traveling for days. Without the moon, they could not be sure how long they were traveling if it had not been Mothwing's ingenious idea to mark the sunrises on a bark of wood she had been carrying around.

Their only reliance at night were the stars to sooth their worries and bring them comfort their Warrior ancestors still watched over them.

The Medicine Cats had hunted for every herb they could find and kept them in leaf-wraps the Warriors carried for them, in case there was an emergency along the way. The traveling was slow on some places, but it was mostly smooth for the cats.

Applefur flexed her tail. "I hope we find a good home soon."

"Shouldn't be long," Duskfur mewed. "What's the story from the patrols?"

"Rowanclaw mentioned birds heading South. I thought he saw some pink ones between them, but he couldn't be sure. And everything from here to Buu was okay with their sensors."

"They'd better be right," Duskfur muttered. "I don't want us to die from a mistake on their behalf."

Applefur nodded. "Let's hope so."

They tilted their heads back at the mountain. They watched from the base as Blackstar and a few of his Warriors levitated above and landed on top. Duskfur sighed.

"This isn't fair. ShadowClan should be teaching us their powers too. He's being selfish."

Applefur took that moment to snatch Moonkit in her jaws. She shrugged apologetically to the RiverClan she-cat before she floated after the group. Duskfur's scowl deepened. She began to brace herself when Applefur reappeared.

"We're bringing all the kits to the top," she mewed. She reached down for Podkit.

Duskefur shrieked and clawed her face. Applefur leapt back.

"Don't touch them!" she screeched.

"What?" Applefur demanded, hurt and anger in her eyes.

"I'm not letting anyone fly with my kits!"

"We just want to - "

"Get away!"

Stunned, Applefur flew off. Podkit and Curlkit watched their mother with wide eyes as she slowly controlled her breathing. Without a word she nuzzled them until they relaxed and gently pushed them to the base of the mountain.

Applefur was livid.

She took her anger out on Rowanclaw as they waited for the cats to climb after them. Rowanclaw was not in the mood. He snapped at her to behave herself and get going, or he'd give her something more painful to think about then Duskfur.

The she-cat had crawled away and somehow ended up with Olivenose. She was friendly with the Queen as she ranted, albiet gently, about her ordeal with Duskfur.

"I was just trying to help! Did she expect me to steal her kit?" she demanded.

"Look at it from Duskfur's point of view," Olivenose mewed.

"What?"

"We can fly. Shoot light that explodes and sense life without the need to see, hear or smell it. Remember when Goku and Vegeta first came to camp? We were all frightened. It seemed abnormal. It was both frightening and a blessing.

"Duskfur doesn't know what to think about this yet. She almost believed you to be normal like the others. But when you flew, all her doubts returned, and now she doesn't know what to make of you."

"But I'm still the same," Applefur mewed. She glanced at Moonkit as he played with the other kits. "Aren't I?"

Olivenose's eyes blazed. "We've always been the same. But now that our powers are not a secret anymore, the other Clans won't be too lenient. They think it's wrong we have a gift we're not sharing them. As long as we have this, we have control over them, and as much as they refuse to express it, this frightens them a lot. The Warrior Code is useless here."

"..." Applefur glanced back down. She found Duskfur immediately. She could feel the she-cat's life waver as she struggled up the mountain with her kits. The Warriors on either side assisted them, helping the kits up or watching over them as the mother huffed after them.

Even without their powers, the other Warriors were still helping one another. Something ShadowClan should be doing, instead of sit by and do nothing.

But they had to. Applefur's eyes rove the ShadowClan Warriors stationed around the group in a wide circle. ShadowClan had to keep their senses alert for the slightest hints of Buu. Rowanclaw looked to the breaking point as he talked with his Warriors and looked up at the sky or horizon every few seconds.

The she-cat turned her back and began to herd her kit on the other side after Blackstar, whom was already perched on the other side of the mountain, scouting ahead for danger. She just missed the first sight of a pink form descending from the clouds above.

[-]

The wind tugged hard against Rowanclaw's pelt. He looked over his shoulder. The sky was thick with thousands of pink forms. Below him the multitude of pelts rushed over rocks and slithered through grass in an attempt to escape the rapidly approaching horde.

He cursed himself. The birds flew above the clouds too. Buu must've known this would happen! It hid in the clouds!

Rowanclaw flew with the others in a wide arc, shooting a barrage of ki blasts into the mass of pink flesh, trying to distract it. The wriggling army shifted away from the Clans, plunged after his patrol. Rowanclaw's group dipped and dived, pulling up at the last moment and slipping between the trees the Clans had left behind before they climbed the mountain.

They could hear Buu's birds smack against the ground, too slow to pause and crashing against the trees. They pulled up, burst through the trees.

And arrived in the middle of the mass.

Rowanclaw looked about him quickly. Where did this come from?

Ratscar edged closer to his leader, his paws cackling with electricity. "Rowanclaw, they've got us surrounded!"

The Captain glanced up. Pink birds dive-bombed into their small group.

"Scatter!

He twisted away and flew upwards. A sticky blur smacked into his shoulder. It wriggled and cawed loudly in his ear. He snarled and bit into the pink flesh, sending a torrent of electricity from his teeth into the creature.

Buu shrieked and clung harder then ever. Rowanclaw savored the screams, imagining each and every jolt vengence for what happened to his mate. He rolled over a group that tried to intercept him, continuously feeding into the creature until it stopped moving. He pulled it off and spat it away.

Three more stuck to his back. He wriggled madly, trying to pry them off. Another stuck to his leg.

His yowl was cut off as a pink bird shot straight into his mouth.

[-]

Blackstar paced back and forth. The Clan cats were hiding in the tall close cropped grass on the other side of the mountain. During ShadowClan's patrols' attempt to distract Buu, Blackstar had heard the others to hiding places. It worked. The birds had flown completely over their heads. Heading straight for the horizon. But Blackstar kept them hidden just in case.

They were safe, but did not go smoothly.

Many of the cats panicked and ran over the mountain in their haste to escape the birds. Duskfur had been one of them, taking her kits with her. Applefur had no idea she died until Olivenose appeared with a frightened Podkit in her jaws. She didn't learn until much later many of them willingly threw themselves overboard, keen to join their Starry ancestors then lose their own life and very soul to the monster.

The rest of the Clans were mortified. They sat mumbling or looking up every now into the sky. It didn't look like a force with the will to keep living. It was the thought of staying alive that frightened them most if Buu confronted them again.

"I can't believe they surprised us!" Blackstar growled. Above the night sky, thousands of stars shined down on them. Blackstar gazed at his Warrior ancestors. He said and thought some things against StarClan that he now regretted.

He wondered if in some twisted way this was their method of revenge. If so, he hoped they would forgive him. He could just make out his Clan-mates in the little light the Warrior spirits provided. They didn't trust lighting the air with their tails. It'd be like a warning signal for Buu. Then again, it could probably hear them too. He wasn't sure. He was frustrated, tensed, and exhausted to the point he rather run blindly out there then stay cooped up in here with fear scent clogging his nostrils.

The crickets chirped loudly in the quiet darkness. Not even the other Clan cats dared speak out loud. Blackstar sighed loudly. "We should have been better prepared!"

"We were," Applefur mewed. She glanced at Moonkit sleeping beside Podkit in a tight woven nest of ferns. "Buu was just two steps ahead of us."

"Then we'll keep extra patrols on standby. I want you to send a message to every ShadowClan Warrior to meet me here - "

"Blackstar, there is no one else," Applefur mewed quietly. "Everyone's gone."

The ShadowClan Leader glanced at the few ShadowClan Warriors that surrounded him. They huddled together. He could see the fear in their eyes as they tried to keep their legs from shaking. Then he raked his eyes over the other Clans.

He swallowed.

"We'll keep running," he mewed. He was met with tired groans. Mousefur slumped on the ferns.

"That's it, I give up," she groaned. "I'm tired of running."

"We must keep going!" Blackstar insisted. "We'll outrun Buu at some point."

"I doubt that," Onewhisker mewed.

Blackstar was in his face in an instant. "And what will you do without us?"

Onewhisker pushed his face forward until their whiskers touched. "We should never have followed you!" he snarled. "This is a sign from StarClan. The moon's absence did not signify alliance, but an omen. And you're pulling us all with it."

"Silence!" Blackstar growled. "I'm trying to save you all."

Mistyfoot stepped forward. "Let us worry about our own Clans. You've done enough help for us."

"And I suppose you can do better?" Blackstar demanded.

"A lot better then this," Onewhisker shot back. "My Clan runs and hides in tunnels. We should have done that instead of follow your crazy ideals."

"What kind of Warrior are you? Hiding in tunnels," Blackstar taunted. "That's the coward's way out!"

"If I'm not mistaken, this whole travel is the coward's way," Onewhisker gestured angrily. "Look at us! We're not Warriors, we're prey to this thing! And you're doing nothing about it!"

"I know we can still make it," Blackstar "If we just keep going, hide in the ferns - "

"You'll all find it riddled with Buu, and die with no hope."

All heads turned. Standing atop a boulder was a cat. She watched them balefully. But it was not her words that caught their attention. Her pelt shed stars in the dark.

* * *

**I'd like to thank Song that Sings on its Own for beta-reading for me. Without him/her I wouldn't have had the will to continue this sooner).**

**And I hope ya'll are enjoying this. I liked the way it turned out. A little more polish, but it's fine this way too =D**


	22. Welcome to StarClan

**Here is the next and second final chapter. This story is finally coming to a close!**

**I appreciate all the readers that stayed with this story since start to finish(unless those old readers left by now XD)**

**This is the longest chapter I typed for this story, and i hope you all enjoy it.**

* * *

"Move it."

Applefur skidded and caught herself. She hardly reacted as the shadowy shapes slid past her, nor cared who the speaker was that pushed her. Exhaustion weighed her down. The ground felt so comfortable. She could lie on the cold grass and sleep...

Cold tiny noses nudged her insistently. She picked herself up again.

"I'm alright," she muttered, nuzzling first Moonkit then Podkit. She ignored the protests in her legs. "Let's keep going. Almost there."

The line of Clan cats followed quietly through unfamiliar dark trees. The only light came from the celestial glowing figure at the foremost, leading them through the darkness; Bluestar told them she could lead them to safety, and they all drank it up eagerly to escape the horror that followed them. After a time of traveling, they noticed slight differences speckled the forest. Some trees sparkled with their own light. Others appeared faded that a cat could see past the trunks at the trees beyond. Bluestar paced quickly, but after the many clan cats complained about the Elders and kits that lagged she slowed reluctantly.

"Come on, just over this hill!" she called after a long walk.

Applefur felt the ground slope upwards. Her legs practically shrieked as she gazed up at the steep incline. She took a deep breathe and increased her ki reserves. It didn't sooth her, but the exhaustion faded as new energy flowed through her heavy muscles.

"I'm tired," Podkit wailed. "I want Duskfur!"

"Almost there, come on, I'll carry you. Moonkit, you can ride my back."

Blackstar looked small and unimpressive, walking with his head down beside the others up the hill. What hope he had of leading his Clan was over the minute Bluestar appeared.

The she-cat huffed after the receding shapes. Other Clan cats tried to help the Elders up the slope. Some gave up entirely and lay on the grass, their Clan-mates begging them to keep moving. Applefur's exhaustion was at its limits until she reached the summit. Dazzling sunlight sparkled unexpectedly, temporarily blinding Applefur's eyes. She dropped Podkit in surprise, who mewed in protest.

Through the glare she saw a beautiful forest spread out before them. A continuous waterfall roared through the clearing into Applefur's ears It sounded so beautiful she felt her heart lift after the dark journey to StarClan.

Down the hill a wide clearing stretched outwards before the trees blocked their way. StarClan cats lined the clearing, gazing up at the Clan cats with bright eyes.

"Swiftpaw!"

An old dappled gray she-cat stumbled down the hill, her eyes wide with happiness. A small dark brown tom with amber eyes broke from the line of StarClan cats. He embraced Ferncloud halfway down the hill. Their purrs carried up the slope to the Clan cats' ears.

The mother and deceased son's embrace broke the spell. The Clans ran down the hills and mingled excitedly with their Starry family and friends. Mistystar was conversing with Bluestar and a large dark brown tom. Possibly the father, Oakheart. Brambleclaw allowed an old Golden she-cat to lick him between the ears the same way a mother soothed her kit.

And just like that, everything was okay. StarClan cats came with jawsful of prey. The others returned from scouring over the hill with exhausted Elders. Soon they were either sleeping or eating with the others. Everyone sat and talked, asking one another news and how they were. Others relieved the nightmare they just had. It didn't matter which Clan anyone was from. The idea to relax, without fear of looking over their shoulders, eased them greatly.

"Where's Tawnypelt?"

"Have you seen Icewing?"

"They're not here."

Pebblenose looked around. An old dark red tom covered in stars munched carefully in his bird. Pebblenose dipped his head awkwardly. "Where is she?"

The StarClan tom didn't answer right away. He chewed slowly. "Remember the warning of Russetfur?," he mewed after swallowing his meal. "Buu doesn't kill: it absorbs, makes you one of it. Once you become Buu, you lose everything. You're not alive or dead, but part of it. It's a fate worse then death."

Pebblenose looked down at his half-eaten vole. He pushed it away and stalked off.

"This is all your fault!"

Crowfrost glared at Blackstar. Applefur was shocked. He was one of Blackstar's closest allies. "Trying to take over the Clans, and look what happens!"

Applefur felt something stir in her chest. Horrible red eyes and frightened clan cats obscured her vision. "Crowfrost, stop," she whispered. "It's over. Let's forget about it and eat. We're in StarClan now!" She tugged his tail.

Crowfrost ignored her. His angry gaze on the ShadowClan leader.

Blackstar gazed up with eyes that could smother even Applefur. "Sit down, Crowfrost," he mewed through clenched teeth. "We're in the presence of StarClan. The least we can do is act civilized."

Crowfrost snapped. With a yowl he jumped Blackstar. They rolled, screeching and yowling. StarClan broke them apart.

"He's the cause of this!" Crowfrost howled. "You're the reason most of ShadowClan are gone!"

"I tried to protect us!" Blackstar spat.

Applefur had enough. Moonkit did not need to see this. She picked up her kit and moved through the crowd, away from the fighting.

She didn't feel part of ShadowClan anymore. Not while she was here. It broke her heart to think that ShadowClan won't be the same anymore. Crowfrost was right, there are only few of them left. But at least they have StarClan.

She glanced around. Speaking of StarClan, where was he? He had to be here. He will be so excited when he catches sight of Moonkit!

A StarClan she-cat with dark fur bumped into her.

"Sorry," Applefur began and did a double take. Duskfur glared at her, her body low on the ground as Podkit rubbed himself over his mother happily. Curkit blinked at his sibling patiently. Duskefur and Curkit were covered in Stars. The friendly greeting Applefur was about to mew died out as she gazed into the she-cat's eyes. They were not friendly.

_He's mine,_ the eyes told her. _Go away._

Anger grew in her. This was the thanks she got for caring for Podkit and soothing him after he just saw his own mother and brother plummet to their deaths?! Her tail fluffed. Duskfur's ears flattened. The sounds of festive seemed muted.

"Applefur, I'm tired," Moonkit wailed.

Applefur tore her gaze away. "Let's go find somewhere to rest," she mewed stiffly.

"Isn't Podkit coming?"

"No, let's go."

She ignored her kit's protests as she led him through the crowd ofpelts, until she found a nice quiet spot beneath a tree. Despite his protests, the kit fell asleep instantly, his purrs mingling with Applefur's strokes as she groomed him. The Clan cats still talked and shared stories with StarClan, but many of them were clearly exhausted. StarClan were leading them through the trees.

So this was where they were going to live the rest of their lives? In StarClan? It would be such a big change and adjustment. This was just like the great Journey. She doesn't remember most of it. She was only a kit then. But it changed her Clans' lives forever.

_We'll pull through,_ she told herself fiercely. _ShadowClan's small now, but that will change._

Applefur tried to forget about Duskfur and the future by relaxing and stretching her senses. It was difficult, with the multitude of emotions and life signs that smothered her. And many were angry and anxious, but she was able to push through it and expand her horizons.

"He's not here."

Applefur's pelt began to fluff, but she held it down when the scent hit her. A small black StarClan she-cat sat a little away from her. She was not looking at the she-cat. Her eyes were on Moonkit, a curious gleam in her eyes.

"Pinepaw? Oh StarClan, you look so much older! And stronger," she added, noting the high reservoirs of energy that seemed to spiral out of this she-cat. Was this really the same silly apprentice Applefur knew all those days ago?

Pinepaw smiled. "You speak as if I'm your mentor. I'm younger then you."

"But you're StarClan, that makes you wiser."

"Does it?" Pinepaw didn't wait for her to respond. She tore her gaze from the kit. "Vegeta isn't here."

A heart beat painfully in her chest. "Why? Where is he?" Applefur whispered.

Pinepaw shook her head. "That I don't know; there are things beyond even StarClan's understanding. But I do know he doesn't belong in StarClan. Neither do Goku or Gohan. They were never cats to begin with."

"But we're okay, right?" Applefur didn't worry too much about Buu after she arrived here. Her expectation to see Vegeta had soothed her.

"Yes. As long as we stay here and close the borders, we're safe."

Applefur slumped on the grass. She felt relief and an ache in her heart. She wanted to screech to the skies for losing her mate, yet scream for joy. It was confusing. Maybe she should start studying Medicine Herbs. That would certainly keep her mind busy-

_Get out, now!_

Applefur looked up. "What?"

Pinepaw's face was blank. "What?"

"You said 'get out.'"

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Applefur," Pinepaw broke off. She quickly looked over her shoulder. Not at the cats, but up towards the hill where the Clans descended. Her pelt was fluffed. Fear clogged Applefur's nostrils.

"Pinepaw...?"

"It's here."

Her eyes were wide with horror. "Buu followed you. It's coming!"

[-]

"All Clan cats, to the borders, now!"

Battle ready StarClan cats lined the clearing. Pinepaw stood in the front group led by Raggedstar. Two other teams, led by Crookedstar and Sunstar, crowded closely behind them. These would be the offense. Two other separate team led by Mossstar settled between them. Her group would hold off the creatures. The other StarClan cats herded the frightened Clans through the forest; some wanted to fight, but StarClan refused; they were still alive, they could run the risk of adding onto Buu's already large army. Pinepaw and the others were dead, Buu can't absorb them.

Pinepaw quickly went over the techniques Goku taught her. She hoped they would help. Every cat lowered their heads, their tails lashing and eyes defiant against the steadily approaching signs that were Buu.

They were all terrified. Buu can't absorb them, but it could still smother them to death. Pinepaw could feel their fear begin to overwhelm her.

"Remember, we all work together!" Raggedstar's large, battle-scarred frame eyed each cat intently. "It doesn't matter what Clan we're from, and we must forget our pasts. Do not let the fear clog your minds; embrace it, and use it to work together to save those we care about. It's our fear for our Clan-mates that keeps us here.

Now stay organized, and you'll live. Panic, and we'll die. Even if we die, promise me you'll show these monsters you will fight 'till your last breathe- understood?!"

Pinepaw yowled with the others. Raggedatar nodded approvingly and faced the slopes.

A tiny pink figure had been watching the leader's speech. It was too small for Applefur to make out. Possibly the size of a squirrel. Another appeared. Then another. Her heart fell as hundreds of pink forms began to creep over the summit, like a large living river flowing endlessly down the slopes.

"StarClan, ready!" Raggedstar yowled. Pinepaw hurriedly lowered her head. She forced the energy to pulse through her body. Her legs shook slightly, the power eager to escape.

Pink birds flew over the slopes. Pinepaw saw to her horror that it wasn't just the cats and birds. She could make out fleshy horses, Twolegs and even the large creatures Goku called 'bear.' They stumbled grotesquely closer to the group, their eyes blank with hunger.

The nearest Twoleg reached out with extended fingers.

"Now!"

A lone of ki blasts exploded from their mouths, paws and tails. Purple, red, blue, yellow, green. A rainbow of colors illuminated the entire field. The first line of Buu exploded and shriveled in the ground. They did not move. The others crawled, walked, hopped and flew over their dead comrades.

"Again!"

The StarClan cats fired another barrage. On and on it went. Pinepaw's group quickly became exhausted. Raggedstar switched them out and Crookedstar's group took over to continue the assult. After his group needed to recuperate, Sunstar stepped in until Pinepaw's group was active enough to continue the battle.

Mossstar's team kept up a constant, condensed ki shield. The birds would claw, stick and peck the upper shield, keen to break through and attack the offensive team. The StarClan leader's second group would blast through the shields to incinerate the creatures.

Despite StarClan's ingenious tactic, Buu's numbers did not halt. Hundreds upon hundreds covered the hills. Pinepaw could see the only reason StarClan lasted this long was the low intelligence these creatures possessed. If any of the Buu's were smart enough, they could have tunneled underground, surrounded StarClan and attack from all sides, or simply use their vast numbers to rush at the group at once instead of march off-rhythm or attack in one direction

Pinepaw wasn't complaining. But she could see they were not going to hold off for long. Many of her Clan-mates were exhausted. StarClan were not proficcient with their ki abilities yet, nor did they experience Vegeta's rigorous training to amp their ki. The only training they received was from Goku's few classes while he had been honing Pinepaw's skills. She took over after Goku disappeared; but it wasn't enough.

The birds tore through the shields. They immediately stuck to the defense group like taffy. One creature shaped like a cow with large horns barged through Raggedstar's group while they were about to switch with Crookedstar's. To their horror, Buu could even absorb the dead. Petalfur was shrieking and clawing frantically as the birds surrounded him, melding into his body. Raggedstar ran to him help.

A Twoleg snatched him up and stuffed him uncereminiously in its chest, then spat out a large, pink cat with blank red eyes. It was done so fast Pinepaw couldn't believe their leader had been absorbed, just like that.

Chaos ensued. The cats scattered. Buu began to pick them off, cornering individuals and absorbing them.

Dawnstripe, a pale she-cat of WindClan, snarled and clawed at a pink snake. It stuck to her paw. In her desperation she forgot to surround her paws with ki. Her anger turned to fear; she whimpered and pulled. The snake began to wound around her as the rest of the Buu surrounded her.

There was a red flash, and the pink snake fell in a messy heap by her paws. Pinepaw appeared by her side. "Find the others and leave!" she gasped. "I'll cut you a path. Hurry!" Before the WindClan she-cat could respond Pinepaw disappeared in a red blur. The groups of Buu that surrounded her tore into pieces. Was this actually Pinepaw's doing?

Dawnstripe didn't question the strange miracle. She hurried off to find any survivors.

"This was so stupid!" she hissed under her breathe. "We're all going to get absorbed by that thing in the end!" A large Twoleg bared her escape. There was another red flash, and the Twoleg fell in scraps; Dawnstripe kept running. Through the chaos she collected the cats she could find and hustled them back to the forest to rendezvous with the others, all the while Pinepaw tore a path for them through the wall of Buu.

[-]

Foxdung!

A long thing tail snaked around Pinepaw's neck. Teeth clamped on her tail. She yowled. The tail tightened.

She shut her eyes. Her heart beat erratically. Her muscles bulged.

In a red haze she tore through the Buu's before they could twitch a muscle. She looked around. She was still surrounded. A large mass of Buu ignored her, traveling in StarClan's forest to hunt for the others.

Pinepaw ran after them. None of them moved. She was moving so fast it was as if time itself stopped. Even the birds above her head were poised in mid-flight. She leaped, clawed, bit, kicked and tore through as many of the Buu's. Her body felt like it was going to snap. She grunted and ran far from the creatures before she shut off the Kai-o-ken. Pinepaw tripped and fell.

She roared. The pain was too much. It was as if a Twoleg stomped on her.

_Come on, keep moving,_ she coaxed._ One... more... step..._

Pinepaw gave up. She was hurting herself just trying to flex her claws. Kai-o-ken drained too much out of her body. She could only watch as the army of pink creatures passed her. More were coming down the hill. She closed her eyes as a shadow blocked out the sun. _I'm sorry everyone, I tried..._

It was harder to breathe. Blackness enveloped her. Her mind panicked. She fought in her prison. She couldn't move.

_StarClan, help me!_

"No one can help you but yourself."

Pinepaw jerked her eyes open. The receding darkness, the bodies of Buu, were all gone. She couldn't feel the familiar springy grass beneath her. This floor felt softer, comforting. And yellow?

She braced herself and stood up. To her surprise, there was no pain in her body. It felt light, refreshed as if she wasn't just in a hard-pressed battle.

This wasn't StarClan...

It looked like the sky, but at the same time it didn't. Bright blue and orange colored the atmosphere, but no sun shone through the clouds. Where the light came from she could not tell, but it looked as if it was sun-high here. She was laying on a narrow fluffy thing in the middle of...

Pinepaw peered over the edge. She whimpered and backed away. There was no ground, just clouds! Dear StarClan, she was standing on a cloud!

Where am I?!

"My new home."

Pinepaw jumped and looked around.

A Twoleg sat on the other end her fluffy cloud. He had his back to her. One-piece blue pelt hugged his body tightly. Long hair shot straight up over his head. And above that, a hollow circular bright yellow ring. He felt familiar. Pinepaw met him before, but where, she couldn't determine.

What's a Twoleg doing here? Pinepaw thought.

"The better question is, what are you doing here?" He looked over his shoulder.

Pinepaw bristled slightly. "You... you can talk?!"

"Congratulations, you win a prize for obvious," he growled.

"Who are you? What am I doing here?" Pinepaw demanded.

He scowled. "I may have been a cat, but you can still sense me, can't you?"

Pinepaw didn't answer. It clicked in place so suddenly she couldn't help but stare wide-eyed.

It couldn't be.

"V-Vegeta?" she whispered.

"Took you long enough. Have you given up the fight?"

Pinepaw didn't answer. This cat. The very cat that taught them how to fight, whom mated with Applefur and fathered Moonkit... this is him?

He looked so ugly...

"I heard that."

Pinepaw shut her jaws. "Um..."

"What are you going to do?" he repeated.

"Do... what?"

"About the battle?"

"Battle...? Oh, right! Vegeta- Buu's over StarClan!"

"I know."

"We tried to hold them off, but there's too many of them!"

"I saw."

"We need you! Take me back and we can finish this!"

"I can't."

Pinepaw was stunned. "Why? You can defeat this Buu, can't you?!" she demanded.

"Of course. This Buu pales in comparison to the original. This one replies on absorption, it has no regeneration factors, and it can't duplicate. With a wave of my hand I can kill ever one of them if I wanted to. But I'm dead," he added the last word bitterly.

"So am I, but you don't see me doing nothing about it!" Pinepaw argued.

"I'm not a cat. It works differently in the after life here. The best I could do was warn Applefur, but that wasn't enough. I can't help you because essentially we're not from the same planes of existence."

"What?!"

"It's too complicated for something as insignificant as you to understand. Think of it as a dream. I'm not really here. And at the same time, you're not here either."

Pinepaw could not tell if Vegeta was speaking nonsense. It looked real. He smelled real. Pinepaw could even feel the power in this Twoleg. It was scary. She felt like a tiny mouse in an everlasting forest, violent and tormenting in a storm. Yet it was controlled, and she suspected this was not all the power he presented.

"You're dying." Vegeta watched her closely. "After the fox killed you- and you've grown a lot stronger since then- you came to StarClan. But what happens when a StarClan cat dies?"

"We move on to Eternal rest," Pinepaw mewed.

"And what happens when that process is interrupted?"

Pinepaw didn't answer.

Vegeta waved at their surrouding. "You're in limbo: between life and death, or as you can say, between death and peace. And here is where I come in." Vegeta smiled coldly. "I stopped you."

"Why?" Pinepaw muttered. If there was no hope to stop Buu, Pinepaw couldn't figure out what was the point in stopping her from Eternal Peace. To let her experience hopelessness for a few more hours?

Vegeta held up a finger. "Don't be so hasty." He tapped his skull. "Remember, we can tread in each others thoughts here. Now listen, I brought you here to give you one more chance to go back and fight. Think of it as giving you an extra life, like those Clan leaders."

Pinepaw twitched an ear. "You can do that?"

"I think so. Your StarClan does that. They give their own lives to a Leader." He gazed around the empty sky moodily. "It's the best I can tell you. I tried to warn Applefur, but that wasn't enough. She thought it was you."

Pinepaw felt hope flutter in her chest, but she didn't let it overwhelm her. "But is there a chance to stop this thing? It doesn't matter if I go back. The result will still be the same, won't it? And where can I find another life?" She looked around, expecting Vegeta to present her with a random cat spirit.

Vegeta looked surprised. "Oh, I doubt you'll survive. You are possibly right that you'd only be delaying the inevitable. You're exhausted and half dead. I don't think there's much you can do in your pathetic state."

"Then why bring me here?" Pinepaw was beginning to grow annoyed with this male. Was this really the same person Applefur gushed after time and again?

"Believe me, if you met the old me, I would have let you move on. But my time with Kakarot made me realize a few things." He settled cross-legged in front of her. "Never give up, and at times you may surprise even yourself when the need is great.

"Now listen closely, there is one technique that can probably- and I say this with a great doubt- probably ensure victory. But it is a very risky move, and I can understand if Kakarot didn't even suggest it to you."

"What is it?" Pinepaw asked eagerly. "Is it the Spirit Bomb?"

"No. You're facing multiple enemies, not one; and it takes time. It's something I'm going to teach you right now. It does not require any training, but it doesn't guarantee anyone will survive either."

Doubt swirled in Pinepaw's mind. "Will the others be in danger?"

"Depends how much you can contain it before you die."

Pinepaw looked deep into his eyes. They were not imploring, pleading, or demanding. They waited patiently for her answer.

"I could be absorbed. Lose this one chance to move on as myself." She mewed, staring carefully into his eyes.

The eyes wavered slightly. "... yes."

"Or if I go back, everyone might die."

"And move on to Eternal Rest with you. But if you choose the other option, go ahead. I don't give a damn."

He rested on one elbow and waited.

Pinepaw looked away. The sudden weight of responsibility fell on her shoulders. No matter what decision she made, everyone would still die. Could she face going back to fight the monster? Or do whatever it is Vegeta wants her to do?

"I- I'll still need a life," she mewed, buying time for herself.

"We'll worry about that after you made your decision."

"What is this technique anyway."

Vegeta told her. Pinepaw felt even more anxious. "Will it hurt?"

Vegeta smiled coldly. "Pain beyond anything I ever experienced then and now. At the moment you want it to stop, that's when you have to embrace it, keep going, otherwise it'll fail."

Pinepaw lowered her body. "I wish you didn't tell me that..."

"You asked." Vegeta suddenly glanced over the edge. "Better hurry up," he growled. "You're running out of time."

Pinepaw followed his gaze. She gasped. Below her was the entire StarClan forest! She could see large pink masses shuffling slowly. Most of StarClan's trees were already pink, wavering slightly. The ground throbbed, the animals moved relentlessly. On the other side of the forest, between borders, Pinepaw could make out StarClan, hidden between dead trees. The Dark Forest.

They won't be safe for long. The pink mass already began to swarm over the borders between mists. A yowl rang out. It hurt Pinepaw's ears.

She didn't realize it was coming from her until Vegeta picked her up by the scruff. "Snap out of it." He threw her back in the cloud. "It's a reflection. You can't attack it."

Her family, her Clan-mates. Pinepaw felt restless. She clawed the fluffy cloud. She wanted to help, but at the same time she wanted to run and never look back. All those monsters...

"Vegeta," Pinepaw whispered. "What if I'm too scared?"

"Then leave. Be a coward."

Pinepaw flinched.

A passing cloud floated past their cloud. Pinepaw watched it, and Vegeta watched her, all the while Buu steadily draws closer to trapped Clans in the Dark Forest.

* * *

**The conclusion to a turn. Will Pinepaw choose to move on and let everyone be absorbed? Or will she go back and risk killing everyone? **

**The pressure is too much for an apprentice as her to place this burden on. But this is Vegeta, the man trained to kill since he was a child :3**


	23. Final Point

It came without warning.

A long, thin tendril wrapped itself around Duskfur's throat and tightened. She spluttered and pulled frantically. The tentacle replied with a tighter grip. The giant bear behind her reeled its long arm back, and the she-cat was taken away from her kits under cover of a thin primrose bush. Duskfur screamed and tore frantically at the dirt as she felt the creature's hot breathe on her back.

The reek of fire overwhelmed Duskfur's nostrils the same moment it released her grip.

Shetook a lungful of precious air and staggered back to her kits. The smell was coming from a pile of burnt and smoking formless shape that used to be the bear. Over it stood Applefur. The she-cat was bleeding heavily on her right shoulder. She hardly stole Duskfur a glance before she leaped in the air and plowed into the back of another fleshy pink animal that was rearing over a StarClan cat.

Duskfur quickly ushered the kits further in the forest. "Come on, let's go."

"But what about Applefur?" Podkit mewed.

Duskfur looked over her shoulder. A flock of birds fell upon Applefur. She clawed desperately as they surrounded her, sticking to her fur. She cast a terrified glance at Duskfur before they smothered her completely. It happened so quickly the StarClan she-cat could hardly believe Applefur was absorbed. So fast. Like a starving dog devouring a meat without chewing.

She could have done something. But she didn't. She just stood here and watched it happen. The beginnings of guilt began to obscure her mind. She felt the mushy ground tilt under her paws.

One of the bird's looked up and caught her eye.

Duskfur turned tail and led her kits further in the forest. She nearly passed Moonkit if the kit had not mewled. Without stopping she snatched the kit in her jaws and ushered them deeper in the woods.

Where can they go? It became wrong so fast.

Tigerstar had met StarClan at the border to their Dark forest. He let them inside without fuss. He knew what was happening, and he felt allowing them to stay in the forest while the other cats dealt with Buu would smooth their relationship. He had led the cats through the dark and smelly forest to a wide clearing. But even this was insufficient. The ground was bare, the bark broke under Duskfur's paws, and the water tasted so bad it was like something died in there. She felt she wasn't far from her assumption.

But it was the best they could hope for, and they waited it out here. One of Tigerstar's scouts had arrived shortly after, claiming he saw a large group of pink things plowing through the dark forest. Duskfur wanted to wail. StarClan's greatest warriors had fallen. Buu was now in the Dark Forest.

Tigerstar had gone ahead to see for himself. He returned, grim-faced, but not wholly disappointed. He saw one of the pink cats tryto absorb a dead stump. "It covered the whole thing, then reshaped itself and backed away," he had mewled. "It looked lost. I don't think its that smart. It tried to cover the log again and again. I saw the other things try the same with the other rocks, bushes and trees before I left."

Bluestar bared her teeth. "If we knew they were this stupid, we could have planned this differently!" She curled her claws in the dirt. It stuck to her claws, but she was beyond caring. Duskfur felt someone could fling a pawful of foxdung in her face and she'd still hardly react. Well, maybe she would, but not strongly.

"They're dangerous, but stupid," Tigerstar mewed, as if Bluestar never spoke. "If we keep going south, we might be able to make it past the border."

Bluestar blinked nonplussed. "What's beyond the border of the Dark Forest?"

Tigerstar shrugged. "How do I know? You don't let us go as far as the border! But now that StarClan's grip over is us weak, we should be able to cross for the first time. Whatever we find has to be better then this!"

Except the journey didn't go smoothly. Some of the Buu gave up trying to absorb lifeless husks and drifted closer in the forest for live prey. They caught up with the cats after about an hour, and everything went to hell. Cats scattered and ran or fought. Most of the Dark Forest fled, some stayed behind to help, but despite their efforts it wasn't enough.

Duskfur had kept pushing and carrying her kits, but she was quickly left behind. The she-cat had swerved to the side and pushed her kits in a cluster of dark bushes and squeezed after them. It was dark and suffocating. She had no room but to squat over the kits. She was terrified, breathless and losing her sanity. She had already suffered one mental trauma that would have stuck with her for the rest of her StarClan life when she made the decision to leap over the mountain with her kits; anything to escape Buu's absorption. Could she do something like that again?

She didn't find a clear answer before Buu had found them. The she-cat would have been absorbed before her kits' life. Then Applefur saved her. And it was Moonkit who watched his mother disappear before his eyes.

Duskfur was so distracted she didn't see Tallstar until she bumped into him.

He turned, bristling. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, as if the sight of a stressed out mother pushing three kits wasn't enough to enforce her lagging behind.

"I- " began Duskfur tiredly.

"No time. C'mon!" He snatched one of the kits in his jaws - Duskfur had to force herself to hold back from leaping at his throat, the way he held the kit roughly - and moved off. She herded the other two after him.

She didn't know what to do, except run and pray they could find the border.

[-]

Rock shifted.

He gazed at the large, round planet floating in space. He watched as a pink haze slowly colored the surface. Watched as it floated away from the sun, towards distant planets.

He switched his gaze to StarClan. Most of the surface was already covered. The Green lolling hills and mountains would be gone too.

He glanced at Dark Forest.

There was still some black in the rapidly filled pink of the dark forest. He focused on this spot. The cats were huddled, terrified and confused. Dovewing was the only cat remaining. Lionblaze was absorbed when he hung back to fight the Buu on earth. Jayfeather was taken during the confused panic in Dark Forest.

Oh well, what's done is done.

The prophecy, like many others before it, was gone. Not that he expected it would come true. But he played his part just as he was supposed to, for he was a pawn in something beyond his scope of understanding. He remembered another prophecy, of a creature with large, primal eyes that consumed a black cat. But he was not in this part. He shared this with an unbeknownst StarClan cat, whom immediately sought out Goku in the hopes that he could somehow put a stop to this. Brightspirit was the next key to ensure Vegeta followed the prophecy, and with it the vast emptiness he foresaw.

He didn't try to go down there and comfort the Clans, or appear or do anything. He had seen death, torture and Armageddon so many times that it was nothing to him anymore then a butterfly perched on his ear. He simply watched and waited, already sure of the outcome. He knew when he should play his part, but not yet.

He saw a small form whisk through StarClan. It settled in the middle of a mass of pink and disappeared. Rock didn't react. He settled back and waited patiently.

[-]

They've been stumbling for how long Duskfur couldn't tell. There was no sun, no moon. Just this sickly light that glowed from the trees. They couldn't hear anything else in the forest, except the silent pursuit of the creatures behind them, snapping twigs and plowing through bushes, intent on their prey.

Duskfur slipped and tumbled. Her kittens squeaked as they fell from her grip. The ground shook again. Tallstar steadied himself as another rumble thrummed through the forest.

"What's happening?" Duskfur mewled shrilly.

Tallstar didn't answer. He stared past her, his eyes wide with fright.

A tremendous sound like multiple monsters roared at once and boomed through the air. The she-cat was pushed back. Her kits, mewling in alarm, tumbled head over tails by the gale of the wind. Tallstar quickly blocked them with his body. Bright red light enveloped the entire clearing. Fire roared and rose to alarming heights, illuminating the trees and sky.

Duskfur instinctively sought the kits and together she and Tallstar covered them with their bodies, the scorching wind whipping their fur; it got so violent they kept their claws on the ground for support. She didn't look towards the fire. She kept her head down, eyes shut.

She could feel it. Pinepaw was in that terrible fire. She was screaming in agony as it tore her from the inside out. But at the same time, this fire _was_ Pinepaw. It was like her very life exploded out of her and crawled free to pillage and consume everything in its furious path.

Dear StarClan, did she actually have that much fire inside her?

Duskfur waited, expecting the she-cat to die. But she didn't. The fire rose higher. The she-cat was openly allowing this terrible fire to consume her from the inside out. And the screams, so small yet so shrill. Duskfur's spine wouldn't stop shuddering.

The roaring fire began to lose height. It sputtered and puffed out. The screaming echoed until the air was quiet. Duskfur pricked her ears. No more fighting. No Pinepaw. No... nothing.

Tallstar was the first to raise his head slowly. His fur was stuck in all the wrong places. He squinted through the dark trees.

Duskfur tugged his tail. "Let's go." She quickly ushered the kits forward. Tallstar didn't move. "Tallstar, come on!"

"Something's wrong."

"Tallstar- "

"I'll be back." Without another word he strolled, not away from Buu, but towards StarClan!

Duskfur spat a curse after him, but she held her ground. She'd rather move, but she was still badly shaken from the blast. Her legs felt wobbly that she had to lie back down.

Her kits nudged her insistently. "Duskfur, let's go!" They insisted.

"Give me a moment..."

"Where's Applefur?" Moonkit mewed.

Duskfur didn't answer.

Tallstar returned, a troubled look in his eyes. Duskfur stood shakily. "Well?"

"It's gone..."

"What, Buu?"

"No, StarClan."

"What?"

He looked her in the eye. "StarClan is gone, and part of the Dark Forest. There's nothing there but white mist and blank memories. No bodies, no Buu, no nothing. I don't know how, but Pinepaw erased it."

[-]

Rock nodded.

He watched as the group of StarClan, Dark forest and clan cats hesitantly moved past the border. Many more stayed behind to guide those still roaming the Dark Forest to the borders. They followed a mostly straight path beyond what they could not be sure. He led them, without their knowledge, with small clues here and there in the form of illusions and whispering voices, to the borders of SkyClan.

As he watched, he noticed that neither dead nor spirit, evil nor good stuck out of the traveling cats. They all looked the same clustered together, frightened but determined, as they moved on to an uncertain future in the minds.

A loud stomp signaled the arrival of a guest. Rock didn't bother looking around. The newcomer cleared his throat.

"Okay, start talking."

"What do you mean?"

Without warning Rock felt someone grasped the back of his scruff in a tight grip and turn him violently around. Vegeta, in his Saiyan form, regarded Rock with burning eyes. Above him spun a bright yellow halo.

"Alright, talk!"

Rock wriggled in his grip. "Put me down."

"Can't you just will it away from me?" Vegeta taunted.

"You are misinformed. I know everything. That does not make me any stronger then an Elder."

Vegeta didn't loosen his grip. "You knew this was going to happen. Somehow you knew."

"I'm just a cat."

"Bullshit. You probably used to be a cat. But not anymore. I can sense that. You're like those Kaioshins."

Rock didn't answer. He struggled.

"Why didn't you convince Kakarot and his brat to stay? They could've defeated Buu."

"They were not supposed to be here. It goes against the laws of our Universe."

"But I was?"

Rock blinked. "You were destined to die. It wouldn't have mattered."

"Don't give me that destiny bull crap!" Vegeta spat. He had every mind to fling this ugly naked creature as far away from him as he could. And he did. He flung the cat until he disappeared over the horizon. Rock stood beside him, as if nothing happened. Vegeta was not surprised.

"Just a cat my ass."

"I'm a spirit."

Vegeta pounded his fist against his forehead and angrily gestured at the rapidly coagulating pink planet. It was like looking at an extremely wide mirror below them. Except instead of mirroring them, it presented the dark recesses of space, and the slowly moving pink planet. "So? Why did you let Buu do all this? Why not let Kakarot deal with them first?"

Rock looked up blankly. "Because there was a chance Buu would have absorbed them. Then we would have two of the most powerful and dangerous creatures wrecking chaos in multiple universes."

"But it's fine for Buu to do that to this one?!"

"Not everything ends in a happy ending." Rock looked towards the distant stars, and the giant floating pink planet. "But then again, life will move on."

"How the fuck do you think life will move on?" Vegeta demanded. "What kind of cat thinks like that? Answer me or I'll-"

"I've done it for many years. I'm not going to stop just because you tell me." Rock bowed his head. "Move on, become at peace, you've done enough. In the end, we can't always fix everything."

Vegeta opened his mouth, but the cat was already disappearing. He shouted curses in the sky, but when the cat didn't return he shifted his attention to the group of cats below him.

They moved as one, terrified but determined. He tried not to, but he could sense Moonkit in the group. A kit with the blood of a saiyan in his veins? Preposterous? But even so, Vegeta gazed at him as he followed Duskfur. He didn't look or act any different then the others.

Vegeta hoped whatever peaceful destination they find, there would be no moon.

* * *

**And that's it! It was fun writing this, and I apologize for not finishing it sooner. I haven't had access to a computer or internet for a looong time, except small moments.**

**So, I hope you enjoyed it, and those who don't, well, thank you for taking the time to read it. Like always, critiques are nice, and you were all a good audience n-n**


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